


Silent Revolution

by morgianalefay



Category: Ai no Kusabi
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2016-04-16
Packaged: 2018-04-09 13:13:47
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 39,575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4350149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/morgianalefay/pseuds/morgianalefay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Want a happy ending? Work for it. Or, what happens after the ever after, and after that. And after. [note: I connected 3th and 4th chapters].</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hope

Riki opened a bottle of wine.  
“Just a little,” he said. “You shouldn't drink at your age.”  
There were two glasses at the little terrace table. Hope was sitting next to it, on the floor, her legs akimbo, her hair loose.  
“When I was your age, I was drinking tones of cheap alcohol,” he continued while pouring wine into the glasses. “Iason says that's why I'm short.”  
“Great.” Hope grabbed the glass, not waiting for Riki to finish pouring his own wine, and drank half of it at once. “I'll remember to always drink the expensive ones.”  
Riki wondered for a moment if he should discipline her a bit, but decided not to. She knew perfectly well it was impolite, she did it to annoy him.  
It was the late evening. They were sitting on the terrace of Iason's penthouse, a place both Riki and Hope called home, under the canopy of forcefield that parted them from the winter air. Hundreds of snowflakes danced above their heads and disappeared in tiny explosions of blue light the moment they met the forcefield. Iason had it made after Dana Bahn explosion, that is, fourteen years ago, because Riki had found the open space soothing. The mongrel had spent almost the whole summer on the terrace, and Iason had wanted him to be able to use it in winter too. Raoul had said this would give them brain cancer, but nobody minded him.  
“All right then,” Hope asked, her voice sulky. “Why am I here?”  
“You are at home. What's strange about that?”  
She looked at him meaningfully.  
“You didn't place me at school on the other side of 50 million city to have me at home for holidays.”  
Riki touched his forehead with his hand, perplexed.  
“Really, Hope, we've been through this at least ten times. You can come here whenever you want. Just call, and somebody will pick you up.”  
“You know what being picked up by a helicopter filled with security guards and castrated slaves does to my social life?”  
“Makes you popular?” Riki asked sarcastically.  
Hope gave him a killing look. She shook her head to toss hair away. Her hair was black, straight, long to the waist.  
“Nobody talks to me.” She finished her wine. “The rich because I'm a mongrel, the poor because I'm rich.”  
“You would prefer to be a poor mongrel?”  
“Very funny, _daddy_. It would be easier, though, if I got a hover bike.”  
He leaned toward her.  
“Over. My. Dead. Body.”  
She sighed and reached for the bottle. Riki stopped her by catching her hand.  
“So, is there a reason you insisted I came home? You surely didn't miss me enough to spend the whole winter holiday with me. We're arguing already. And I could spend two weeks with my friends on winter camp.”  
“I'm not arguing. You are. And you've just said you didn't have friends.”  
“Could make some. If I went to that camp.”  
Riki let go of her hand. He decided his kid wouldn't believe in a "we've missed you" theory.  
“Iason is going to make an important announcement in three days. We want you to be here when it happens.  
“Why? If it's important, it'll be on telly.”  
“There may be some... unrest afterwards. It's not easy what he's going to say.”  
“What? That he is going to cut his hair or something?”  
Riki rolled his eyes.  
“Give me a break, Hope, you'll know in three days.”  
“Why can’t you tell me now?”  
“It's complicated.”  
“Hell yes,” she sighed. “Like everything. Every fucking thing in this fucking house is complicated, too complicated to tell me. You never tell me anything as if I was too stupid to understand. Why can't you just trust me?”  
Riki decided he needed more wine.  
“Hope, you have no fucking idea what you are talking about,” he stated, taking the bottle.  
“ Of course I don't. Because you won't tell me. Just like you never tell me how we ended up here or who my mother was. I can do math, Riki, I know you were with Iason then.”  
“Yes, I don't tell you.” Riki took a somewhat superior tone, “and I'm not going to untillI don't see you are adult enough to make a good use of this information.”  
Hope moved closer to him.  
“I have the fucking right to know,” she said, looking directly into his eyes.  
“Don't fucking throw curses at me,” said Riki, returning the gaze.  
They looked at each other seriously for a long moment, then they heard the door to the lobby open.  
“Iason!” the girl exclaimed and rushed inside.  
“Fucking NO!” Riki shouted, addressing Iason. “Whatever she says the answer is NO.”  
The girl met Iason half way, jumped on him, hands around his neck, legs around his waist, as he crossed his arms on her back to hold her.  
“You've grown.”  
“Yes. I'm actually taller than Riki now.”  
“She WISHES!” Riki yelled from the terrace. “And NO, she can't.”  
“What is he indicating?” Iason was smiling gently at the girl.  
“Probably…that I'm only nice to you when I want something.”  
“He is usually right.”  
“Crap. You've noticed.” She made a sad face and let go of him. “Is Cal back?”  
“He is in the garage, yes.”  
And with that, Hope was gone. Iason smiled. Riki must be a carrier of some very aggressive gene that made learning manners impossible. He entered the terrace to meet the mongrel.  
“What is it this time?” Iason sat at Riki's chaise lounge, as the mongrel moved aside to make room for him.  
“Hover bike,” he answered flatly. Not waiting for the servant to bring him a glass, Iason took a sip of Riki's wine.  
“Why not? You rode them at her age, didn't you?”  
Riki shifted into a more comfortable position, leaning his head on Iason's arm.  
“At her age, I was taking care of myself. She’s unable to boil eggs for breakfast.”  
“Frankly speaking, I would probably be unable to boil eggs either.” Riki left the statement alone, but Iason could tell, by the slight movement of air and a change in the mongrel's breathing, that he smiled. The servant with the glass came and went. “On the other hand, I don't ride hover bikes.”

It was a new thing, for Iason, to have an opinion about what Hope should or shouldn't do. She was at least thirteen when he started to show any interest in her. During the previous years, Iason had never argued with Riki's decisions about her, not only because - for obvious reason - the very idea of having paternal feelings was completely abstract to him, but also because he simply didn’t care. He had the girl fed and educated, and he considered his role finished. It really didn't matter to him whether she took extra drawing lessons at the age of eleven or piano lessons at nine or if she ate chocolate for breakfast or had her own credit card. He couldn't see why any of these could make a difference. He didn't expect anything good could grow from that big-eyed little sack of questionable genes. Her mother had low intelligence and short lifetime expectations. (Pets were made like this. All pets over thirty were of completely no use to society and their presence was becoming an economical and social problem. Raoul's team made them genetically weak, so that most of their organs failed between the age of thirty and forty, and they died naturally. It wasn't any big secret but Iason somehow forgot to mention that to Riki). Riki was smart and healthy, but his genetic heritage was completely unknown. It was very unlikely that the mix of Riki and Mimea would be any good; for Iason, Hope just wasn't worth investing in. Actually, Iason was afraid the girl would someday become a big disappointment to Riki.

***

“Ridiculous,” Iason had said to Raoul some twelve or thirteen years ago.  
“It's their nature. They prolong their existence by breeding. That's a biological must.”  
“He can't sleep because of her. Can't eat. Her life hasn't really begun yet and he is already worried she would be unhappy. Trapped between the castes. Hundreds of mongrels are being born everyday and he is not worried about them. Why is she better? Because of one chromosome that happens to be of his origin?”  
It probably would have been better if the child wasn't ever presented to Riki. Both Blondies had the same thought. It was so obvious it wasn't worth mentioning.  
“If you had asked me that, I would have warned you. People tend to do that. Get crazy about their offspring. They call it "natural",” he spoke the last words with a bit of sarcasm.  
“You know, my friend,, I would surely have done that if I had the time. I have a feeling that I was set up. Katze claims he had full intention to bring the kid to me first but accidentally "ran into" Riki that day. We both know Katze doesn't do _accidental run-ins_ ,”  
“Should I ask him about it?”  
“No.” Iason made a little move with his hand, implying he felt defeated. “He did what he considered necessary.”  
Just two years before that talk, those words in Iason's mouth would have made Raoul astonished. Iason might have trusted Katze and given him some space for his personal affairs, but he had claimed full control over him and demanded absolute loyalty. Two years earlier, that was before Dana Bahn, Iason had literally had a claim over Katze's life. Not that he would have killed him for this kind of disloyalty, but he _could_ have had.  
That part of their relationship changed very rapidly, when Iason woke up after the explosion. That day, Katze refused to tell him where Guy was. It was not a bold refusal. The mongrel simply didn't fully answer the question.  
“I dealt with it,” he had said. “You don't have to worry.”  
Of course, Iason could have pushed him further. He could have demanded the answer. But he decided not to. Somehow, in that one moment, he realized it would not make sense. Katze knew Iason had failed. The Blondie had managed to get himself blown up because he hadn't set things right with one mongrel and one ex-lover of his. He had no monopoly for being right anymore. Katze probably was able to take care of Guy better than Iason himself. He understood the mongrel better, could persuade or manipulate him with better effect. Iason understood the best thing he could do was let Katze work freely. After all, Katze had worked freely for the previous three months when Iason had been unconscious, and the Blondie was quite sure that Katze had managed to secure both himself and Guy from every action Iason could provide against them from this hospital bed. Pretending he still had the old power over Katze was below Iason's dignity.  
It was the first instance of realization. Just after that, there came another. Here he lay - his legs amputated, his hair half-burned, he had his hand still covered with bandages, he couldn't see out of one eye and he was shitting into a plastic bag. He had endangered all Tanagura by letting the continuity of government be blown up together with him. All because he wasn't able to deal with _love_. He had been bold and stupid enough that he’d thought Riki's past would disappear at Iason's command. And people around him, literally, Katze and Raoul, were with him now, trying to put his life back together. And it wasn’t because they were afraid of him. He was not frightening at the moment. They did it because they cared for him. The feeling was... interesting.

Keeping Katze collared by his old sins would be unfair. And inelegant.  
"Very well then," he said, "do what you consider best."  
Katze, a bit surprised it was so easy, bowed his head and nodded.  
"I won't bother you anymore," he said. "Call me if you need me."  
He got up and headed to the door.  
"Katze." Iason stopped him. The mongrel looked back.  
"We are even."  
Katze smiled, not taking his eyes from Iason.  
"I'm really glad you are okay," he said.

Iason was not exactly ‘okay’. He knew perfectly well there was a war waiting for him. Jupiter was on the edge of turning away from him. His position was weaker than ever. He could lose his life, Riki, the city. He was worried, of course. But he also realized, with a sort of perverted satisfaction, that part of him actually liked that notion. Life would stop being boring at last.

***

Well, boredom was something Iason Mink could never complain about again.  
He had needed over fourteen years to win all the battles he'd been dedicated to. But he'd done it. Now, there was only one left, but he wasn't much worried about its result. His power was undeniable, his position unquestionable. His reforms were working. Raoul and Katze backed him anytime he needed. And, most importantly, Riki was still at his side.  
Riki was literally lying on Iason's side at the moment, and he was apparently ready to doze.  
"You know? "Iason started, nipping gently his ear.  
"Hmph?"  
"She actually is going to be taller than you. You can see that in the structure of her bones."  
"Hmph."  
He leaned to Iason caress and dozed off completely.

"I don't know where to start." Cal wrung his hands as he looked around Hope's room.  
"I completely don't know what you mean." The girl stated as she threw herself at the bed. The room was in such a mess it was hard to find place on the floor to walk.  
"You've managed to do all this during one afternoon?" He asked, as he headed for the bed in careful steps, feet placed between books, clothes and teddy bears. He laid down next to her.  
"Nooo," she sing-songed. "I created this mess the last time I was here. When was it?" She asked sarcastically, as if it was ages since Riki and Iason had her brought home last time.  
"Three months ago. Listen, Hope, if you just allowed me to come here and clean at least some of this mess..."  
"Forget it." She kicked him lightly.  
"Why?" He reached out for the pillow that was laying on the floor and put it under his head.  
"Because. You wouldn't do it yourself. You would palm it on one of those boys and I don't want them to mess around my things. They could find my collection of satirical drawings. Or my dildo."  
"It wouldn't be the only dildo in this house, sweetie."  
" _Stop_ right _there_!" she hissed. "I know nothing about my father's sex life and I intend to leave it that way."  
"Why do you think I was talking about Riki?" He laughed, Hope's eyes widened.  
"You...? You want to tell me something?" She demanded, smiling.  
"No, I don't." He said in a most casual voice. He was hit by a pillow. When he gave her a hit back, she kicked him off the bed, making him land on the top of the mess.  
"Shit," he hissed, feeling a shoe under his back.  
"You have someone or you play on your own?"  
"Like the hell I'll tell you."  
"Why? Don't you like me?"  
"I love you, you clot," he laughed and got up, not without difficulties.  
He did love the girl. He took care of her since she was three years old. When you are a castrated slave with no life despite serving coffee, a sudden appearance of a child you can love is something that gets to the very core of your soul. He gladly become a nanny, he found little kids contagiously optimistic. Grown up children were some something entirely different, though.  
"Have they told you what this fucking announcement would be about?"  
"No. Come on, let's at least clean up the floor."  
"Only if we watch a movie later. Doesn't it bother you?"  
"Cleaning your room?"  
"No, the fact that they keep everything for themselves."  
"No. Hope..." He started, while collecting clothes from the floor, "I don't think there's an official ranking, but Master is probably the single most important person on this planet." Cal used the word 'Master' in a funny way, like a nickname, not a title. "He works on things people would kill to know about. Even Riki doesn't know everything. And surely you can't expect them to share everything with a fifteen-year-old.  
Hope finally got up from the bed and started helping Cal with cleaning.  
"Not all. Most of it doesn't interest me. But this speech does. I could be skiing now."  
"They wouldn't let you go without one of your favorite bodyguards anyway." Cal smiled ironically. Hope hated being watched since she was five years old.  
"I don't just get why they can't send you," she said, resigned.  
"Because they know you would poison my drink with sleeping pills."  
Hope left the statement alone, mostly because Cal was right.  
"Alright," she said after a moment. "There's enough place on the floor to watch the movie."  
"Just don't play one of those lame Bela Lugosi horrors."  
"All right. Zombie movie then!"  
Cal sighed very deeply.

***

The first thing Iason saw when he woke up after Dana Bahn’s explosion, was the white ceiling. The second, was Raoul's face.  
"The mongrel is alive," he said, before Iason managed to open his mouth. "I can't give you any guarantees, but it seems he's going to be alright. He really is a fighter."  
Iason sighed and, with Raoul's help, managed to sit up.  
"I want to see him "he said.  
"I know. Just give me five minutes to check on you," he started and before Iason managed to protest, flashed a light in his eyes. Then he had a look at the medical device Iason was connected to.  
"Your pulse is too fast."  
"Because you are annoying me."  
"Amusing. Three minutes, Iason. You owe me that."  
Iason started to be aware of his body. It hurt in many places. His legs were gone, his right hand was in a plaster, his hair, or rather what was left of it, was tied up behind his back. There were at least three pipes in his veins.  
"I can't see out of my left eye," he stated flatly. Not that it worried him very much. Raoul, on the other hand, seemed surprised. "What? It's just a fucking eye. I'm sure a first-grade student can fix it."  
"I'm not worried about the eye. The surgery is already scheduled for tomorrow. I'm worried because it's the right one, not the left."  
"Oh." Iason still didn't looked worried. "So this is a left hand?" he pointed at the arm in the plaster.  
"Yes."  
"If you say so," he shrugged. "Don't look at me like that. Something has hit my head very hard, you know."  
"Believe me, I do know. Forty two stitches only on the left side of the head."  
"How did you manage to get us out of there?" Iason was not interested in more medical details.  
"Not me, actually. Katze. That man is quite omething, Iason. I don't know how he managed to do it, but he broke into the precipitation controlling system from his car. Using a smartphone, I guess. He made it pour down rain. Firemen had nothing to do, except, of course, dragging you out of there. Before I managed to get there, Katze got out of nowhere the life-sustaining capsules. That's the official first time I ever got astonished by someone that much. He literally saved your life. Unfortunately, he was too busy to hide his tracks, so the fact that your furniture is able to jeopardize Tanagura weather system using a cell phone and is willing to get a death sentence to save his master... My god, Iason, he's made the council forget completely about Riki's case, and I didn't consider it possible. You two are a more popular topic..."  
"It's not his first death sentence, you know. He's getting used to it, I guess."  
"Amusing again. Does it hurt?" He asked, pushing slightly against Iason's ribs.  
"Like hell," he answered flatly. "I'm assuming you took care of that?"  
"What? Oh, Katze, yes "he spoke somewhat absently, as he was busy scanning Iason's chest with a little device in his hand. "He got arrested for about six hours, I had him released and, on the basis of your testament, transferred him into my custody. For his safety. Temporarily, of course."  
"Of course."  
"Alright, you are as fine as one could expect," he stated, somewhat resigned, and called for the nurse. Together they helped Iason to get in a wheelchair.  
"He is unconscious, hovered in a capsule filled with an antiseptic jelly "Raoul explained, as the nurse escorted them to the elevator. "It makes his transplantations heal faster."  
"Transplantations?"  
"Of skin. You've gotten them to. But your skin regenerates faster. We had to use some artificial skin on him. And as for his penis... We're getting it done. As well as your legs. But these things must take time. Organs don't grow overnight."  
"I understand, Raoul." Iason said impatiently.  
"I just want to prepare you. It looks a bit creepy."

Riki looked dead. He seemed not to be breathing, but his eyes were open. His skin was still red in places where his own were connected with the artificial one. And the artificial "designed to disintegrate after the reconstruction of the real one "looked like a plastic bag covering raw meat. But the worst thing was something else. In the place where his penis had been, there was a "something, well, a pipe made of artificial skin, clearly with blood circulating inside it, connected with his groin.  
"And this is what?"  
"A kind of fistula. My invention. Iason, a transplantation of legs is one thing, is quite easy and it can be done anytime. But a penis is a far more complicated organ. Transplants effecting with full capability to feel, become erect and ejaculate are successful in 93 percent of procedures if the wound is fresh, but only in 67 if it had already started to heal. And, since we need to make a new organ for him, and keeping the wound open would lead to infection, I've had the wound connected with minor veins and arteries in the groin. Don't worry. It will be gone before he wakes up."  
Iason said nothing. For a moment, he looked at the boy in silence.  
"Iason, one more thing. When I came to Dana Bahn, there were three life-sustaining capsules. One of them disappeared with Katze and obviously a man inside. Later he told me that was something between him and you."  
"It's alright. I know who that was."  
"Will you tell me what exactly happened?"  
"Not now. Not here."  
"I understand." Raoul sighed. Again, they were silent for a moment.  
"Raoul."  
"Yes?"  
"About all those things you need to tell me about my recklessness."  
"Yes?"  
"I'm really grateful you are not telling me now."

There was nothing romantic in Riki's awakening. At first try, he started to panic, flung himself around. Iason's voice and touch weren't enough to soothe him, and the nurse gave him a sedative before he managed to damage his bandages or drips. He fell back asleep almost instantly.  
"Your hair," he managed to say to Iason. What was hardly appropriate, considering the Blondie was in a wheelchair.  
"Hair grows," Iason said, stroking his face. Riki was already out.  
The second time was a bit better, but still bad. He woke up tied to the bed, so that he wouldn't accidentally hurt himself, and since it was Riki, that fact made calming him down even harder. Riki reacted aggressively to bonds, automatically like Pavlov's dog. When he did come to his senses he was sure there was still a badly stitched wound in his crotch. It hurt just as badly. He was surprised to find a penis there. A penis that simply didn't feel like his and hurt like hell. He had some additional tests done, Raoul said it was possible something was messed up with the nerves connected during the transplantation, but it seemed alright.  
Iason got home a few days earlier than Riki since he refused to have his transplantation at that time. It was crucial to him to go back to work as soon as possible, and Raoul was honest with him "his new limbs would be weak and the procedure exhausting. He wouldn't be able to get out of bed for another three days and would have to learn to walk. Iason didn't have time for that. Since his wounds had healed up while he was unconscious, learning how to use prosthetic limbs took him one afternoon. For an outside viewer, there was nothing unusual in his moves. Better for his appearance than using crutches for weeks. Iason decided the transplantation would have to wait. The prosthetic limbs were comfortable and he used them even at home, even when he was alone. When he did take them off, he had enough strength in his arms to move his whole body from one place to another without anybody's help. After Riki regained enough consciousness to actually think about it, he started to admire Iason for that. He used to think that it would be unbearable for an Elite to live with so big and so visible... imperfection. It turned out Iason was strong enough not to breakdown over it.

Iason had Riki placed back in his penthouse in Eos, in a separate bedroom, Cal and a hired nurse taking care of him around the clock. The mongrel was in pain, nobody was sure for how long, and although it wasn't unbearable, the other things were, so he gladly accepted the fact they were shooting him up with serious painkillers that left him nearly unconscious. He didn't want to think too much. He spent the next few weeks on the terrace, facing the sun, mostly sleeping. Iason was usually there when he woke up.  
"How are you feeling?" The Blondie asked.  
Riki yawned and moved up a bit. Iason was sitting just next to him.  
"I'm hardly conscious most of the time, I'm in pain, and I can't stop thinking that it isn't even my fucking dick that hurts. The fact that I came to this point because the person I cared for so much is an incurable idiot doesn't help. You managed to go back to work even without your legs and I can't even get around with a _dick_. Otherwise, fine."  
Iason kissed his forehead.  
"This is a part of your body," he said, in the same time his hand moved aside Riki's bathrobe (he couldn't stand wearing pants) and gently, but forcefully parted his thighs. Riki's body reacted automatically, moving legs wider apart, while his face didn't show traces of either encouragement or objection, as if it was somebody else's legs. Just like Iason expected. After all, he had been training Riki's body to obey him for over three years. Simple conditioned reflex, not even fully conscious. "It has been made of your cells. It’s as much yours as your hand."  
"No it's not. It wasn't born with me."  
Riki finally realized what he was doing and closed his legs, but Iason parted them again.  
"You are taking advantage of the fact I'm too worn-out to give you some solid defiance," the mongrel murmured, looking at Iason. He wasn't really angry. He knew what Iason had in mind. Since leaving the hospital, Riki didn't want to even look at his crotch. Iason probably thought that exposing it would help him to get used to that transplanted organ.  
"I'm sure you'll catch up soon enough, pet." The Blondie smiled, kissing his mouth gently. The mongrel didn't answer the kiss, but didn't try to stop it either.  
"You bet I will."  
Iason moved forward to sit between his legs. He put one hand on Riki's thigh.  
"You know," Iason started "I still feel my legs tickling. Sometimes I reach to scratch it and I'm surprised to feel plastic. And they hurt, usually when the air-pressure is dropping, as if that could have anything to do with it. And there's that dot case."  
"A dot case?"  
"When I was eight years old I dropped a pen with a golden nib."  
"Of course golden," Riki murmured.  
"It fell on my left foot, the nib slightly pierced my skin, and a drop of ink got inside."  
Riki laughed out aloud.  
"You got yourself a tattoo in a shape of a mole?"  
The Blondie smiled. He gently took his penis in one hand. He could understand Riki didn't consider it his own. It was the same but somewhat... new. Skin was brighter and softer than it used to be. It was like a new born baby's organ, except for... the obvious.  
"Exactly. That was athe closest thing both to a tattoo and to a mole I had ever had. When I look at my foot, the first thing I notice is not that it is prosthetic, but that there's not a dot there."  
Riki stifled his laugh.  
"I understand. You miss the dot."  
"Not that I was emotionally involved with it," Iason smiled and Riki burst out laughing, "but I notice it’s missing. I want to say that there's nothing odd in the fact that you feel odd."  
Riki sighed and said nothing, but he was still smiling and his eyes lightened up a bit. Iason looked down at the penis, still in his hand.  
"It's going to be alright," he said.  
"Are you are talking to me, or to my dick?" There was a trace of good mood in Riki's voice, something Iason was waiting for a very long time. Somehow, without a second thought, without actually any thought at all, Iason decided this was the right moment. He raised his head to meet Riki's gaze.  
"I love you."  
The sentence hung in the air for the time of one breath. And then, Riki grinned.  
"Again, me or the dick?" He asked. Iason's eyes sparkled.  
"Should I say I love you both?"  
Riki laughed hard, moving forward to embrace Iason's neck. The Blondie's arms closed aroundthe mongrel's back.  
"You know..." Riki started, "I've been expecting you to say this for some time now. But I thought this scene would look a bit differently."  
They kissed, Riki eager this time, but the kiss was broken off shortly, as Iason noticed the movement in the wide-opened terrace door. Riki turned his head to look in that direction.  
"I take it back," he said wryly, meeting Raoul's gaze there. "Now the scenery is complete."  
Iason kissed his forehead while getting up.  
"I'll be right back. I'll send Cal to watch over you."  
"I don't need it."  
"I do."

When Iason was back, Riki was asleep again. He dismissed Cal and sat beside the mongrel. The air was warm, the evening was beautiful. Riki felt his presence and moved closer, placing his head at Iason's side. It was a nice gesture, unusual. For the next months, these kind of gestures were the only sign Riki had any kind of friendly feelings toward Iason. He consequently refused to speak to Iason about his emotions. He did speak about them eventually, but the gestures stayed, as well as the custom of spending evenings on the chaise lounge on that terrace, in a loose embrace.

***

And so, they were lying exactly like that fourteen years later, even though the decoration had changed, as well as the chaise lounge, and Riki's evening soothers changed from morphine to a glass of wine, and his problems changed from planning his own little rebellions to stopping Hope's. But the rest didn't change much during the years. Iason knew perfectly well that after sleeping 15 or 20 minutes Riki would wake up and suddenly become talkative. They would talk about the present day and the next, the weather and work and a new living-room design. In winter, it was a very pleasant feeling, to sit on that terrace, in warmth, but being surrounded by night and snowflakes. (Though Raoul would say this force field would give them brain cancer.  
"Then you will cut it out," Iason would answer to that. "I know that slicing my brain has been your secret dream since high school."  
"Oh yesss. I always pictured you when I was doing a vivisection of an amorak leech." Raoul would say something like that and Iason would laugh out loud. Riki never understood those private jokes between the two of them.).)  
For the past few years, every first night Hope got home, Riki ended the evening literally being dragged to bed, and fucked, so slowly, so hard and so long he ended nearly unconscious. He didn't know if Iason was aware of this scheme, or what caused it. Perhaps the Blondie was somehow jealous of Hope, or it was because he knew how troubled Riki would become because of her, and he tried to flush Riki's bad emotions with some other overwhelming sensation. Riki wouldn't mind, so he wouldn't ask. He let Iason undress him, before he would end on all fours, Iason's one hand would hold a grip on his wrists, so he wasn't able to touch himself. The other hand would keep his hips in place, so he couldn't even impale himself deeper. He would be almost completely stilled, head dug into the cushions, teeth biting it. And Iason would go slow, very slow, hard, but not hard enough to make him come, and when he felt Riki was too close, he would deliberately stop for a while. Riki would try to break free, instinctively, automatically, but he wouldn't succeed of course. He would feel so undone, drained from every cognitive thought, as if his body melted, together with his mind, and become one with Iason. And when Iason would finally let him finish, Riki would be so exhausted he would drift into a slumber before he collapsed on the sheet. Iason would wait a minute or two, by his side, before he would see that Riki was fast asleep, and then he would go take a shower. When returning, he would take a bottle of mineral water from the cocktail cabinet, and put it on the bedside table; Riki would be thirsty when he woke up.

On the other side of the apartment, in Hope's room, Cal was being forced to watch a few hundred year old zombie movie.  
Hope was leaning against his chest as they curled comfortably beneath the mess of cushions and blankets. On the screen, a thin, about forty years old woman called Alice was, well, killing the zombies.  
"Have you noticed," Hope asked "that up to the end of twentieth century, the emergence of zombies is usually caused by radiation, and later, from 21st on, it’s always some unknown virus?"  
"No," Cal said flatly. " I’ve managed to watch only about a dozen of them, so I don't have a general opinion."  
Hope noticed sarcasm and joined in.  
"Aww, but you miss so much. This one, for example, is eleventh of the series."  
"Oh."  
"I wonder what caused those changes. Something important must have happened then."  
"Second word war maybe?" Cal yawned.  
"No. The war was later. I think."  
Hope loved old horror movies, from the first three hundred years of cinematography. She was very good at drawing too, so she naturally drifted into creative animation.  
"Do you think Riki might be jealous of me?"  
"No. Why?"  
"Because I've started getting along with Iason. I have a feeling... He pushes me so hard. Like he's being pissed-off all the time. Doesn't answer my questions, doesn't let me drink. He drank at my age, he told me himself."  
Cal sighed and embraced the girl with one arm.  
"The reason you get along with Iason is because you are heading into adolescence. He used to keep his distance from you because he doesn't understand children. And Riki pushes you for the same reason. You're heading towards the age he himself found very difficult. He suffered a lot around that time and he tries to protect you."  
"From what?"  
Cal rolled his eyes.  
"I suppose from literally everything he did, or didn't do, or was thinking, or didn't care to think about, around your age. Just in case."  
"That should comfort me?" she got a little bit edgy. Cal smiled.  
"No. That was simply a statement."  
"Christ. I really don't care much about his mistakes. I deserve my own life. Fuck!"  
She got up to turn off Alice, while Cal laughed out loud.

***

The only thing Katze really hated in Raoul's bedroom was the silence. Fucking sound-proof windows. No birds, no wind, no cars could be heard. The first thing he did after waking up was opening the window. Slightly, just to let the noise come in. Raoul was used to that, even if he woke up at the sound, he drifted back to sleep immediately. What he wasn't used to, was the fact Katze did it when it was still dark.  
"What time is it?"  
"Ahhh... about quarter to four."  
"You are NOT going to get up, are you?"  
"I don't know," Katze smiled. "I was going to put on three nicotine patches and watch the sunrise."  
"Endearing. Come back to sleep. Please."  
Katze came back to bed and put his head on Raoul's chest. The Blondie kissed his hair.  
"You are worried."  
"Yes," Katze yawned.  
"Don't be. We are all in this together."  
"That doesn't make it any better, Raoul."  
Katze didn't live here. He used to spend about three nights a week, sometimes more, sometimes less, at Raoul's place, but he refused to move in. ‘I need my mongrel cave’ - he would say. The place was hardly a cave. Two-levels, three hundred square meter loft at the edge of Midas could look like that from the outside, but definitely not the inside. It was a gift from Iason, from the times when Katze started his work on the black market. And it was conveniently located, close both to Ceres and a highway that could lead him to Eos in 15 minutes. Katze claimed he needed it as a storage and as an office. But the real reason he had never moved to Raoul’s was that he needed his solitude, his space, and his cigarettes "Raoul was quite sure he was still smoking. The Blondie didn't push him, he just made sure Katze knew the offer to move to Eos was still up-to-date. He reminded Katze about that every June. Easy to remember. Somewhat their anniversary month, although they never celebrated their anniversary. Their relationship evolved from long-time friendship, so slowly they hardly noticed. It was the friendship that had a more rapid beginning, and it began in June over thirteen years ago, after the assassination attempt on Iason.

***

"Can somebody fucking explain to me "Riki was pissed off, "just why _the hell_ I find out about Iason fucking nearly being killed from a fucking _television_?!"  
Two of Iason’s furnitures present in the room looked at him with horror. They didn't get along very well, Riki tried not to get attached to them and they treated him like a distraction in their ordered lives. They stood like that, perplexed, for a long while, until Cal entered the room.  
"What the hell is going on?" Riki demanded. Cal sighed.  
"Okay, get lost," he whispered to the boys. They looked relieved.  
"He told you not to tell me, didn't he?"  
"Yes. He ordered new clothes to be brought to him to hospital. The old ones came back with blood on them, but not his blood. The jacket is more stained than the shirt. And he ordered not to tell you." Cal paused. "Riki, he is fine apparently, he'll be home in a few hours, probably wants to tell you himself "he tried to explain. Riki moved around the room in nervous circles."  
"They said one of his people was hurt. You know who?"  
"No."  
"Shit."  
He grabbed the cell phone and dialed Iason but nobody picked up. He tried Katze.

In the hospital, Iason ignored his own phone, too disturbed to talk to anyone. But when a moment later, he heard Katze's cell, he realized it must be Riki.  
Katze's things were laying at the desk in front of him. He took the phone and looked at the screen.  
_pain in the ass_ is calling  
How accurate.  
He reached for his own phone and called Riki.  
"What the fuck is going on?" The mongrel was yelling.  
"It's okay. I'll tell you everything at home."  
"Exactly when? Are you okay?"  
"Yes, yes. I'm alright," he said with a tired voice.  
"What happened? Where is Katze?"  
"He will be fine too."  
"What do you mean: ‘will be’?!"  
"I'll be home in a few hours. We'll talk then," he stated and hang up, ignoring Riki's protests. He was tempted to check what nickname Katze gave _him_ in his cellphone, but restrained himself.

He was home over five hours later, tired and disturbed. Riki almost threw himself at him even before the furniture managed to collect his jacket.  
"What's going on?" he demanded.  
"You are yelling," Iason said quietly.  
"Sure I am!"  
Iason went to his office, Riki following him.  
"Katze got shot," he said, sitting on the sofa. Riki was standing in front of him, too pissed off to sit down.  
"What?!"  
"They've just finished the surgery. There are complications. But he'll be fine. I don't intend to let him die."  
"How... What complications? Why the fuck didn't you tell me?"  
Iason took a deep breath.  
"I decided it would be better if you found out after the surgery, when we know if he lives. You wouldn't be able to help him anyway."  
"Ow. Great. You decided?!"  
"Aren't you forgetting yourself, Riki?" Iason's patience got thin. The boy was still shouting.  
"That's getting better!" Riki rolled his eyes and raised his hands in a defeated gesture. "A week ago you told me you loved me but you still think you can just enter the master-mode and push me around when it's suitable for you.  
The Blondie put his hand on his forehead. He propped his head against the sofa's back.  
"Riki. You are the light of my life, you know that "he started, slowly, trying not to loose his temper. "But I'm am still your owner. You are a whipsnapper  in comparison to me, you know hardly anything about what's going on in situations like this, and right now you are actually yelling at me _in my own home_ , in front of _my own servants_ , after you've yelled at me through the cellphone which actually also happens to be mine. Bought by my money, anyway. Just like the computer you are using and shoes you are wearing. You are mistaking a misguided idea of equality with simple lack of respect. I don't allow my peers to yell at me and I certainly won't allow a snot."  
Riki looked at him for a moment, with sort of disbelief in his eyes. Then, he got the cell phone out of his pocket and smashed it against the wall with full force. Iason took a deep breath, his hand still at his forehead.  
"Get out," he said, forcefully, but still quietly. The mongrel didn't move. "Just get _out_ or I'll have you dragged out, don't tempt me."

***

Iason had a very strict code of conduct as far as Riki was concerned. Actually, he was that strict in all his life, and Riki for sure wasn't going to be an exception. The Blondie thought that if Riki was going to comply with any rules at all, these rules must be rigid. He believed Riki needed well established borders, not alterable by his master's moods. The vivid and unstable creature that Riki was, he would plunge into chaos otherwise. Whether the Blondie was tired and pissed off or happy and amused, rules Riki had to comply with were the same. And rule number one was to fulfill Iason's direct orders, even if Iason himself sometimes regretted giving them. Iason's word should be law for Riki, no-matter-what. The Blondie was not going to let himself be caught at inconsistency. If Riki discovered that there's was a chance to maneuvre Iason into leaving his order unfulfilled, that would destroy the hardly reached minimum of obedience.

***

Iason had him dragged out. By two seciurity officers.  
At least it was made in silence as the mongrel got too resentful to speak to him at all. Then the Blondie had his furniture bring him wine and spent another three hours looking at the wall in front of him, thinking. And drinking.  
Cal knocked at the door.  
"Master Iason."  
"Yes?"  
"Sir Riki is asking for permission to leave his room and see you, Master."  
Iason took a deep breath. Who would have guessed.  
"How did he phrase the request?" he asked.  
"Literally?"  
"Yes."  
"He said "ask Iason if I can see him", Master.  
"No 'fucking' in between?  
"No, Master, but there were some before and shortly after."  
Iason put his glass away, sighing.  
"Send him here. Tell the staff you are all free for the night."  
"Thank you, Master," Cal said, bowing.  
"And Cal," Iason called him before the boy reached the door. "Don't lend him your cell phone."  
"Yes, Master," the furniture said, a trace of smile playing on his face, as he noticed the smashed phone at the floor. Cal was not stupid, Iason though. _Fortunately_ , he wasn't keen on computers.  
Riki came in a minute. He stood for a moment in the door, before he approached Iason with a deep sigh.  
"I'm sorry," he said. "I am. Somebody shot you and I demanded all attention." He stood next to the sofa, just above Iason, not sure what to do next. "I was wrong," he admitted.  
Iason raised his hand to catch Riki's. He urged the mongrel to sit down next to him. Riki leaned into his arms.  
"It's just that..." Riki continued, as Iason embraced him, but still said nothing. "You could have been killed. Again. And Katze... is my friend. And I really wouldn't want him to... " he paused. Iason kissed his hair.  
"I wouldn't want him either "he whispered. After a moment, he started explaining. "Katze's right lung has been shattered. The doctors had to remove part of it. And when they opened him, they found cancer in the left one."  
Riki cursed.  
"If they remove it right now, there would not be enough lungs for him to breath. If they wait until the lungs for transplantation grow... The cancer would grow too, in the same time. It may metastasize."  
"So what are they going to do?"  
"Raoul will think something up. I have full trust in him."  
"Do you know who shot you?"  
"It was a hitman and he's dead already."  
"Nice. And who's behind him?"  
Iason paused for a moment.  
"Same people as always. I've always had enemies."  
Riki raised his head to look at Iason.  
"But you are going to do something about it, right?"  
"Don't worry about it."  
"Don't worry?!" he got a little bit nervous again. Iason pulled him closer to himself. Riki's head rested on his collar-bone.  
"Those are people from the Southern Colonies. Funnily, it has nothing to do with my current problems. I know who's behind this. I have my methods to deal with them. And, by the way, I'm going to put the blame for Dana Bahn on them."  
Riki accepted the explanation, understanding that Iason was not going to tell him more.  
"Speaking of which," he started after a moment, hesitation in his voice. He swallowed. "Where's Guy?"  
"I don't know."  
"Wha... How... I mean, why don’t you know?" Riki was not exactly believing, but then, Iason never lied to him.  
"Katze told me he took care of him. And wasn't exactly eager to give me more details. So I didn't push him."  
"Why?" Riki was surprised. Iason took him by his chin and jerked it up to look Riki in the eye.  
"I didn't want to be tempted to pay him a visit neither of the three of us would have liked," he said. Riki smiled. "Now, we need to talk about a few more things."  
"Yes?"  
"Somebody needs to replace Katze for the time being. He's been training his, so to speak, second in command, but I don't trust that boy the way I trust you. I would like you to oversee him."  
Riki let go of Iason and moved back to have a better look at him. He was deeply surprised.  
"You are serious?"  
"Of course I am."  
"But... To oversee what Katze was doing means to..."  
"Oversee the whole illegal trade of Tanagura. And about 85% of the whole planet," Iason said in a most casual voice. "Plus about ten percent of the legal one. But this, plus my own business affairs Katze used to run, will be transferred to my office staff. They should manage. What stays is the black market. And don't look at me like that. This can be done via laptop mostly."  
"Yes, if you are a nerd like Katze."  
Iason decided not to ask what 'a nerd' meant.  
"You'll have that lieutenant of his. And Helena, my private accountant. She'll be eager to help. And I'll be here all the time. I've may become a bit rusty in that matter, but after all, it was me who trained Katze in the beginning. So?"  
Riki realized his jaw was hanging.  
"Aren’t you afraid to give control over the market to a morphine-addict?"  
"You are not a morphine-addict," Iason smiled at him. "This is another thing we need to talk about."  
"What do you mean?"  
"For how long have you not suffered from side effects?"  
"Ah... I don't know. About three days, or four. I guess I've got used to that stuff. Why?"  
"You haven't got used to it. We've changed ‘that stuff’. To physiological salt solution. In other words, it is just salty water you are getting. It's a placebo."  
Riki's eyes widened. He was completely speechless.  
Iason took his hand in his own.  
"I hope you won't consider it cheating, Riki. Raoul suggested that your pain may be caused not by physical trauma, but by psychological. He was right as it seems. I just don't know whether that trauma was caused by Guy, or by me."  
Riki freed his hand and got up. He started walking around the room, nervously. Iason gave him a moment. The boy was breathing harder, his pupils wide.  
"I guess "he said eventually. "Well, being high all the time was comfortable, I don't deny it. You don't have to... face... problems."  
"And what are your problems right now? Except for Katze, of course."  
Riki made another circle or two around the room, before he stood in front of Iason, and asked simply."  
"What is going to happen to me?"  
"What do you mean?"  
"What is going to happen to me? Iason. Dying with you... was easy. Compared to living with a fucking collar for the rest of my life. And how... What are you going to do with me? When I turn thirty? Forty? How do you even imagine a forty-year-old pet? What will you do then? You could just imprison me here for the rest of my life, couldn't you? Can you even imagine how it feels to... to be kept? To have no will of your own? Are you going to decide for me my entire life? About all my life? Just... where exactly are we heading? Do you even know that?"  
Iason took a deep breath and got up.  
"All right. I'll answer every question, but this is going to be a long conversation. I need a cup of strong tea. I had too much wine. "He gestured towards the door. "Let's go to the kitchen, shall we?"

The kitchen was dark and empty. Iason lit just one minor light and turned the kettle on.  
"Who would have thought," Riki started, heading for cups. "You even know what a kettle looks like."  
Iason smiled, taking cups from Riki.  
"I could call someone..."  
"Of course you could," Riki murmured.  
"But I want us to be alone. Sit down."  
Riki did. Iason made tea with the easiness that indicated he actually had done that before. Once or twice. He gave Riki his cup and sat at the other side of the table. They were silent for a long moment, Riki looking at Iason and Iason looking at the tea in his cup.  
"You are right, Riki," he started. The boy looked startled. "If I was stubborn enough, which I am, I could keep you as a pet, same rules like before, for next three, five, maybe eight years. But not forever. There is no precedence of a thirty-years old pet but I assume that the computer system would automatically delete your registration then, just as it does with furnitures. On the other hand, Tanagura's law simply doesn't provide any possibility of giving a mongrel any kind of citizenship or a pass to Eos. While you are here, you need to be registered in some way, either as a pet or furniture, so that the system would know who you are. The whole Eos is one big computer network. Every door registers your ID when you pass through it. Without being registered, you wouldn't be even able to open an elevator door in this building. Ex-furnitures get citizenship of limited rights but firstly, it's not your case, you are too famous to cheat anyone into thinking you're a furniture; and secondly, these rights are so limited it doesn't make sense to bother."  
"So what's the plan?" Riki asked. "What will you do when I turn thirty? Assuming you don't get bored with me."  
Iason gave him a tiny smile.  
"You are not really counting on it, are you?"  
Riki smiled at him, slightly. Iason continued.  
"I used to hope that you would fit somewhere in the reforms I intended to perform. You see... " Iason leaned toward him, readjusting his position on the chair, "the situation of Ceres must be changed in the nearest 10 years, otherwise we will face a serious economic breakdown."  
"Why?"  
"This is a poor planet. Very little resources. We can't allow anything to be wasted. We need to produce even the very atoms of iron. We can't cultivate too much food because most of the planet is a desert and the areas with good soil need to be covered with forest in order to produce oxygen. The economy here was very carefully planned by the founders of the colony, and it's strictly connected to social life. That's why they created Jupiter and Elite castes. Human beings, driven by emotions, wouldn't be able to follow the protocol so strictly. This is a matter of our survival here."  
"What does it have to do with Ceres?"  
"The economy is balanced if most of the people not only consume, but also produce. They eat, buy clothes, use things, but they also work here, so they participate in production or exchange of services which makes the production possible. Since the exclusion of Ceres, there are thousands of people who do consume, but don't "are not allowed to "produce. They steal or they go on charity. That is the reason why every generation since the revolution uses a bit more resources than goods it produces. Because of that every next generation is poorer."  
"Doesn't Jupiter know that?"  
"She does. She is going to resolve this problem in the simplest way. She controls population and makes sure every generation of Ceres has less women than the previous one. She is going to let you go extinct."  
Riki's eyes widened.  
"And you?"  
"I?" Iason smiled. "I think she needs a solid re-programming. You see... Her goal is to protect the colony. If she gets the idea that the colony would function better with only 15 people in it, she'll kill the rest. She is unable to understand that life is not about survival. The colony was made for people to grow. And I was made to secure that growth. So if she wants to decrease the population number instead of simply restoring social balance, I can only call it crazy "he sighed "I'm not openly standing against her, but I have a few ideas how to bring people of Ceres back into the society of Tanagura, into our economic system."  
"How?"  
"Developing a black market was part of that plan. Lots of people are engaged in that. They do not exactly pay taxes but they participate in the economy. As for the other things... There's no option either Jupiter or the council agree to simply give citizenship to even a part of the mongrel population. But I want to create a system of patronage meaning that an Elite of any class, and later even an ordinary citizen, could take formal responsibility for a mongrel. A patron takes responsibility for a mongrel's actions so that nobody in the city gets twisted about the idea that he'd maul everything he touches, and a protégé, a mongrel, gets some basic rights and the possibility to apply for a legal job."  
"And what exactly does the Elite get from it?"  
"Satisfaction?" Iason smiled, not really believing Riki would buy it. The boy snorted. "Satisfaction is an important thing here, but of course a protégé would be obliged to obedience."  
"And how would it differ from being a slave?"  
"Depends how you look at it," Iason admitted. "There's either a big difference or no difference at all. Patronage would be an open system, depending on personal relationship and trust. One could be able to make it as informal as possible. No uniforms, no rings, you work for your own trust. You get the legal work, your human rights are secured, you can't be beaten, physically punished. But you still depend on somebody else's will."  
Riki sighed. His eyes ran away from Iason to the darkness behind his back.  
"And you want to... try this with me?"  
"I planned to, yes. Both with you and Katze. But right now... Riki my position has never been this weak. I'm not going to be able to perform any reforms in the nearest year or two."  
"Because of me?" Riki still wasn't looking at him.  
"Because I've been reckless."  
"You are in trouble?"  
"The council plans to exclude me," Iason stated, surprised that he’d decided to reveal that to Riki.  
"They can do that?"  
"They would have to be unanimous. All nine votes against me.  
"So it's not going to happen. I mean, Raoul is on your side?"  
"Yes. But they need only six votes to exclude Raoul. They can replace him with someone new, younger, who would probably vote like the majority."  
"Oh shit," Riki rolled his eyes. "So now all depends on whether you've pissed them off enough to make them sacrifice Raoul in order to get you."  
"Exactly."  
There was a long moment of silence. Riki looked inside his cup. Iason stood up and walked around the table to sit on its edge just above Riki. He touched the boy's hair. Riki's head rested on his chest.  
"If you want to leave, I'll arrange for you to leave Tanagura. You can be placed in one of the colonies. But if you stay, you have to be my pet and moreover, you have to keep a low profile. I can give you nothing more right now. I do hope I will be able. Someday."  
Riki placed his head on Iason thigh, letting the Blondie caress his hair. They stayed like that for a long moment. And then...  
"Let's have sex," Riki said.

***

Raoul did think something up. He had Katze's lungs removed, he put the mongrel into a coma for 4 months, connected to an artificial lung, and made new ones for him, from his own cells. The transplantation was successful, and the chemo killed any cells of cancer that were left. Everything was good. But the mongrel had literally no immunity. It was November. Unusually for Amoi, the temperature dropped far below zero, up to minus twenty Celcius degrees. It was the beginning of the coldest winter in Tanagura history, a winter that would change the world. People would call it simply "the Winter". But back then, everybody had thought that the freezing cold would stop in a few weeks. Raoul refused to send Katze home in that weather, claiming that breathing such air would damage his new lungs.  
The dealer endured his captivity with humble dignity, but he was in a bad shape. He could hardly walk, he was deeply stressed, solitude and closed space got on his nerves. The hospital was a part of an enormous bio-med center, and Raoul's office was just a few levels above. The Blondie didn't consider spending time with Katze was anything below his dignity. After all, the man saved Iason's life TWICE, and he was needed, needed in a good health both physically and psychologically. Dragging him out of his room for a lunch or a walk in the winter garden, was, in Raoul's opinion not only a favour returned, but a medical procedure. Nothing special, nothing strange. What was strange was that they developed a custom of having these lunches and walks for another thirteen years.

"I can't even begin to understand how you can eat this," Raoul, a year later, was watching Katze and Riki eating pizza. With their hands.  
They were sitting in the garden, nice afternoon after a week of hard work, and the mongrels had demanded pizza.  
"There's nothing in there you wouldn't eat yourself, sir "Katze smiled. "Pepper, mushroom, three kinds of cheese..".  
"Yes, but I like my food to mingle inside my stomach, not on a plate. And this is the third time I’ve told you to drop the 'sir'."  
"Yes, sir," Katze laughed.  
The mongrel's distance even suited Raoul - he felt comfortable when people didn't get too close, didn't interfere with his personal space. Besides, 'sir' was informal. Katze should actually start with "your excellency" if he wanted to follow the protocol. That protocol was 30 pages long and probably the first thing Katze had to learn by heart when he became a furniture. But sometimes those titles simply slowed down conversation or blocked it’s honesty.  
"Why can't you use forks at least? "Raoul asked.  
"It doesn't make sense to eat pizza with fork. Makes it even more difficult."  
That was Riki. He had never bothered with the 'sir', though he actually should. Raoul didn't recall getting onto first-name terms with him.  
"Two days ago I ordered a mini pizza in the canteen in the Center. The guy put on one foil glove, took a plate with it, then stood in front of the cooker and used his ungloved hand to pick food out. Put it back on the plate and passed that plate to me with the gloved one. I mean, Christ, I really don't care if he touches my food, I've dined in dumpsters, but why the hell did he bother with gloves?"  
"You've eaten from dumpsters? " Iason asked.  
"You have no idea how much good food you can find at the back of restaurants. And it's edible, as long as the cats are not faster than you."  
"And since it obviously doesn't bother them that the food mingles..." Raoul rolled his eyes.  
"I've eaten a pigeon," Katze mentioned casually.  
"You did WHAT?!" Raoul was seriously shocked.  
"They don't differ much from a chicken, sir." Katze smiled a bit, while taking another piece of pizza.  
"Except they spread a serious prion disease. Surely you know about it. Why not rats or something. Cats even."  
"What’s ‘prion disease’?" Riki asked. He was ignored.  
"Primo, cats are nice. Fluffy. My name in one of Earth languages means 'a cat'. Secundo, no, I didn't know back then. I was eleven. Tertio, there were no rats in Ceres since the hunger 35 years ago. Some appeared from time to time, but they... well, disappeared very quickly. And mice are too small. After you skin them, there's really..."  
"Not much to bite," Riki joined."Seriously, what is a prion disease."  
"Amoian pigeons spread a very rare disease that affects the brain," Raoul explained. "It doesn't happen often but it's fatal. Causes complete inability to sleep. You die after a few months, of course before that you go crazy."  
"Scary."  
"It's very rare and takes 30 years to develop. At that time, I didn't even expect to live that long," Katze said, with the most casual voice.  
"You are hopeless sometimes." Raoul, on the other hand, seemed disturbed.  
"Can't you just check if Katze got this? "Riki asked.  
"Raoul would have to slice a piece of my brain out.  
"Just look at him "Iason joined. "Does it look as if it’s an obstacle to him?  
Katze smiled widely.  
"Iason is probably referring to my humble ability to slice out quite a big piece of brain through someone's ear, leaving a patient not only alive but also conscious "Raoul was supposed to talk to the mongrels, but was looking directly at Iason, leaning slightly in his direction, and his tone of voice made it sound like a threat. Iason laughed.  
"Cool." Riki's eyes widened.  
"I'll let you look one day. Unfortunately, it wouldn't help to put a diagnosis on a prion disease. It can be confirmed only post mortem."  
"Well then, you can slice my brain when I'm dead, Raoul." Katze said with a reassuring, tender voice. That voice was followed by an equally tender gaze, tender obviously enough to make Riki look meaningfully at Iason.

Raoul understood Iason's fascination with these mongrels. They were so unpredictable, so vivid. And when you learned to control them, to make them do what you wanted, it provided much thrilling satisfaction. Nothing like giving order to a furniture or pet, they always obeyed. Making someone like Riki obey "was the test of character, of charisma, of inner strength. Katze was a different type of man, but he was fascinating, too. He could be dangerous. He would have the ability to run away, leave Tanagura together with half of the central bank's money, get a false ID and spend his life on never ending holiday. But he stayed, and acknowledged Iason's authority. Surely it tickled Iason's ego.

Katze was a rather modest man. He would never make any big fuss of his position. He was polite, obedient and respectful. Towards Iason especially, but not only towards Iason. That was one thing of things Raoul admired in him "Katze wasn't showing off his power. He seemed to fully accept the fact of being of a low caste. He couldn't change the way he was born and he understood that fighting against it was a waste of energy. Instead, he used that energy to actually gain the power and position of a gray eminence. That's why, in Raoul's opinion, Katze was smarter than Riki. Riki was based on instincts. He was literally a wild animal whom Iason tried to domesticate. He fought against it because that's what wild animals did. Katze was not only able to fully understand the system, but managed to get around it "and he knew that boldness and lack of respect toward his natural superiors not only didn't help, but would make it more difficult. That's why Katze always moved his ass up from the chair when an elite was entering the room, even if that particular elite was actually in quite serious debt to Katze. Riki probably considered it lack of dignity.

What was interesting, was how Katze was doing it with full awareness – definitely wasn't any kind of conditioning or training. His behavior depended on the situation. He didn't get up when he was in hospital, when he was sick or felt too weak "that may seem natural but Raoul had seen furnitures conditioned so deeply they tried to get up at his appearance even if they were in the middle of dental examination. Then, Katze felt somehow free from showing these kinds of respect when they were getting drunk together. Getting drunk was very democratic in Katze's book. The next day, at breakfast or lunch, he automatically switched to greeting Raoul by getting up from his chair end bowing his head. And it seemed completely natural for him.

It was funny how Katze did get up and Riki didn't. Raoul didn't feel offended by that - he was a snob but not that kind of snob. He was too big a snob to let himself be offended by the mongrel's behavior. If the situation was different, he would have felt offended by the mongrel's owner, just like you’d blame the owner if the dog pissed on your shoes. But Raoul gave up that matter. After all, Riki was interesting. Not as interesting as Katze, but it was just funny, to see the little differences between the two of them, knowing they came from the same place and, after all, had many things in common. Loyalty to Iason for example.

 

***

"Let's get this straight." Fourteen years after Dana Bahn, three days before Iason's announcement, and half past four am, in Raoul's apartment, Katze decided he wouldn’t fall asleep anyway and got up. Raoul sighed and followed him. The mongrel opened his bag looking for nicotine patches and continued. "Three days from now Iason is going to inform the council that Jupiter is dead. He will try to convince them she's been dead for three months, that she shut herself down during self-maintenance process. Shutting down started automatically when she was running through some old software, not updated since the revolution at least, that was not compatible with new programming, what created a loop and a general error. Which is bullshit. Jupiter has been dead for more than twelve years now, because we, more precisely I, shot her down, so that Iason could get away with his revolutionary ideas. And the story is backed by software that pretends to be that malfunctioning program, written also by me."  
"Yes." Raoul was tired. He rolled his eyes. "That's exactly how it is. You forgot to mention we probably wouldn't be in this pitiful situation if Iason was able to keep his dick in his pants and his pet in his house."  
Katze's hands shook a little when he was unwrapping the patches.  
"Raoul, you are not a software engineer, so let me tell you something. Programming is like using a language. It's not exactly math. There are different methods to do the same things. Like different words to say the same thing. Everybody has their own style. I can't escape mine. I'M NOT an AI. I'm programming like a human, not like her. And the difference can be seen."  
"Fortunately, there are no software engineers in the council."  
"They may call an expert."  
"They won't. Trust me. They are too proud."  
"And if they do find something?"  
"Then," Raoul embraced Katze from behind, putting his chin on Katze's arm "Then we'll have a civil war."  
"Great."  
"Do you remember our conversation about Amoi's future, in the winter garden of the bio-med center?"  
"Not exactly."  
"When we talked about the degeneration of Ceres."  
"Ah. yes."  
"We agreed then on one thing. A second revolution is inevitable. It’s just that everybody hoped it wouldn’t come during their lives. For thirteen years, we tried to make it a silent revolution, without actual violence. If we fail, the inevitable will happen but even then, it will be less harmful than it would have been without us."  
"You think so?"  
"If our plan fails, Iason will tell the truth. He will tell it publicly, on LED displays in the streets. He will tell the people that he had Jupiter killed because she didn't allow him to help Ceres after the Winter. He will tell that everyone everything that happened next "the reforms, the citizenship rights, founding of the center, blooming of the economy, happened after the death of Jupiter, ergo thanks only to him, not to the AI. The mongrels are already part of this society. Some married into citizen families. Some are wealthy. Some work on crucial positions. If they support Iason "and believe me, they will support him, we will win. On the other hand, I'm able to shut the whole biomed center down, cutting all the elites and high class citizens from their medical care, not to mention two thousands of them would lost their jobs. This would be the shortest civil war in human history. Of course, there's always a plan B."  
"There is?"  
"Of course. We can just pack up and leave the planet."  
"How reassuring."  
Raoul turned Katze to him and took the mongrel's face in both hands.  
"IF they find any proof against us in that software, it won't be your fault. It will be both my and Iason’s fault because we didn't find it when we double-checked it, and triple-checked it, and then checked it a tergo . We have done everything in human power, and more than that."  
"I'm just not sure if that's enough, Raoul."


	2. The Winter

There were seven bathrooms in Iason's penthouse, plus the ones in servants' wing.

Riki's toothbrushes were found in the most of them. He had a habit of wandering around while brushing his teeth, texting with a brush in mouth, walking from one room to another in search of whatever he'd lost the previous day. Hence, he never finished brushing his teeth in the same bathroom he'd started it.  
He also didn't think there's anything inappropriate in spitting toothpaste to the kitchen sink. There were two kitchens in Iason's penthouse. Plus the barcounter with a small sink in it. Riki used that one, too. Sometimes, Riki's toothbrush was found in a bourbon glass.

There were approximately six to nine Riki's toothbrushes in Iason's penthouse, at any given time.

***

Riki woke up in Iason's arms. In the very first moment everything seemed alright, he used to woke up in Iason's arms many times when he lived in Aphatia. Before that, when Iason had kept him in Eos, the Blondie had rarely stayed in Riki's bed after sex; he has his own bed at the other side of the corridor. But in Aphatia, he had used to stay the whole nights.  
Then, Riki realized he was not in Aphatia. It was Iason's bedroom. He had actually never slept here before. After realizing where he was, he realized when he was - over half a year after his staying in Apathia, after the explosion, after the surgery, after the assasination attempt that had placed Katze in intensive care and after some other very serious news. There was pain around his crotch and the part of Iason that was touchng Riki's back at the moment was not his knee - it was his stump.

Riki felt dizzy. He shut his eyes tightly to stop the vertigo. For a moment he was sure he would vomit. Damn. Damn...

They had had sex earlier that night, for the first time since explosion. It had been gentle, awkward sex of two people who were afraid to touch each other.  
Fucking cripples - Riki had though as he had felt the coldness of Iason's prothesis on his calf. He had embraced the Blondie, encouraging him, enjoying warmth of his breath. It had been nice. Good. Nothing too special, though. He had come with a little help from Iason's hand and he had felt Blondie spent himself inside of him short moment later.  
\- How are you feeling? - Iason had carelessly wiped his hand, covered with Riki's sperm, in the sheet, and then embraced the boy from behind.  
\- Good, I guess - he had smiled, turning his head slightly to look at Iason. - You sort of though it would fall of, didn't you?  
\- Sort of.  
\- Yeah. Me too - he had grinned. For a moment, the things had seemed just fine. He had fallen asleep shortly after, his head on Iason's chest.  
Now, when he was awake, the things somehow didn't seem so fine anymore.  


Iason had told him he may leave if ha wanted to.  
If he wanted to. _IF_ he wanted to. Great, Iason. Just great.  
Riki ceased to fell deorientaded and started to feel pissed off. Iason had taken everything from him. Riki lost his respect, his friends, his position as a gang leader. Bison wouldn't trust him anymore, Guy was lost for him. Iason had kept him in a golden cage for three years, important years. Because of the Blondie, Riki spent them watching telly, jerking off and loosing contact with rerality. Iason become everything he knew. Of course he got attached to Iason, this is called Stockholm syndrome! Riki believed Iason cared for him, even loved him, as much as a Blondie is able to, but it didn't change the fact he's been holding Riki against Riki's will. He maneuvered Riki into caring for him by taking everything else away. But Iason won that battle. Now Iason WAS everything Riki had. Damn.

The alarm clock rang and Riki automatically looked at it. Quarter past four.

\- You are not sleeping? - Iason asked.  
\- I was thinking.  
\- That's a good habit - the Blondie kissed his cheek and sat on the bed.  
\- I need a cig - the mongrel murmured. - D'ya have any cigs here?  
Iason nodded.  
\- In that drawner - he pointed out at the cupbord and moved at the other side of the bed. He reached for his prostheses. Riki turned his gaze away. He saw Iason putting them on only twice and the procedure intimidated him. He got up and put his sweatpants on. After taking a cigarette and a lighter from the drawner, he headed for the balcony.  


So. Either he accepts the collar or he leaves everything behind. Iason. Katze. All the possibilities black marked would give to him. And Iason...  
Iason was standing right behind him.  
\- I wonder... - Riki said, with a sigh. - I wonder if you'd be so eager to offer me freedom if there was any real possibility I could accept it.  
Iason embraced him from behind.  
\- Me too - he said simply.  


Riki felt the urge to laugh. He laughed hardly, jerking his head back, placing it on Iason's arm. The Blondie tightened his embrance. Riki stopped laughing only after his stomach began to hurt.  
Iason's hand went through Riki's hair.  
\- I need to go - he murmured in the boy's ear. - Get some more sleep.  
\- Alright - Riki said, throwing the fag over the balustrade. They returned to the bedroom together. Riki collected the rest of his garments from the floor and headed towards the door.  
\- Where are you going? - Iason asked.  
\- To my room. It feels strange to sleep in your bed whithout you.  
\- How do you know? You never did.  
\- That's why I know it would feel strange.  
Iason looked at him for a short moment, as if analayzing what he'd just heard, then he blinked and turned his gaze away.  
\- Do whatever suits you. I'll call when I hear from the hospital.  
\- Right – Riki said, and left.

It took him another three years before he started to consider Iason's bed his own. Actually, it took him that long to start considering Eos his home. It was Hope who made him change his thinking; the girl remembered no other life and no other places. Iason's penthouse was the one and only natural home for her. She used the word "home" in so natural way that it made Riki stir - he didn't know whether to feel uneasy or happy about it. Eos was the place he'd chosen to stay, but it was also the place where he'd been kept. Eventually, Riki decided, for good or bad, that Hope should be free from his ambivalence, and accepted the word "home" in her mouth. Shortly later, he become infected by it, believed in it, not able to resist the simplicity of Hope's vision of the world. When Hope was five, Iason left Tanagura for a few days, and Riki caught himself on doing something he'd never done before - using Iason's bedroom without him. Thinking of it as of "their" bedroom. During the next redecoration, he replaced the bed in his room - used as home office now - with a sofa, without really thinking about it. Strangely, it was Hope who noticed.  
\- He will have to sleep with you or me from now - she said to Iason. She was six.  
\- He can use a hammock, too - Iason answered, imitating full gravity.  


***

Iason didn't need much sleep. He went to bed usually after midnight and woke up before five o'clock. Of course, Riki would be asleep for another three hours or so, hence spending mornings together had never become their routine. Iason usually spent that time with his hairdresser and manicurist or masseur, got breakfest around seven a.m. and went to work before the mongrel woke up. But today Iason was going to work from home, not seeing anyone, and he'd learned, thanks to Riki, that his workers actually did have private lives too, so he'd given them a day off. Having tea brought, he sank into an armchair with his laptop. For a Blondie, a computer wasn't the most efficient way of absorbing information. He had that little device, resembling blackened glasses, steered directly by his brainwaves. But he'd ceased to like the way it blocked him from the outside world. He prefered to work traditionally now, absorbing not only the data, but also the color of the morning light, the taste of tea, the sound of Riki's breathing. After over seventeen years together, including twelwe years of sharing this particular bedroom, Riki was so used to Iason wandering around the room or the light lit on, that he didn't even twitched. He slept like a stone.

Iason went through daily updated economy data. Through reports about public safety. Through employment data. Opinion pools. In few days, Tanagura will know Jupiter doesn't exist any more. Any little thing could be ignition spark. He searched for anything unusal, a sign of potential shift in either economy or social stability. To his satisfaction, he couldn't find any.

Riki's phone rang at half past seven. Completely bewildered, the mongrel flung around for a long moment before he managed to pick it up. Iason lift his eyes, intrigued.  
\- Yes?  
Riki sheepishly looked at Iason and rolled his eyes.  
\- If you weren't late last time you would know it's next Tuesday at two o'clock. I would suggest next time you asked your collegues instead of calling me before eight o'clock - Riki lectured whoever was calling and hanged out, falling on the pillow, face down. - Fucking dumb kids - he murmured. He crawled through the enormous bed to reach for a bottle from the bedside cabinet. Iason got up and walked toward him.  
\- I though somebody was dying - Riki said, and emptied half of the bottle.  
\- Why have you even gave them your number? - asked the Blondie. He was refering to teenage mongrels from the Center. Riki was responsible for their apprenticeships.  
\- Well, sometimes somebody IS dying - he yawned.  
\- In that case they should call your secretary and he or she would decide if the symptoms are serious enough to call you on your private phone, of course at more appropriate hour - Iason said, sitting next to him. The mongrel reached out to touch his arm.  
\- That's an undercover - he murmured. The Blondie leaned toward him - I want them to believe I'm one of them. A secretary would create a distance.  
\- You didn't sound like one of them anyway - Iason said before kissing him. He knew he had no more than three minutes of preoccupy Riki with something, otherwise the mongrel would fall asleep again. And Iason got slightly bored of sitting there alone.  
\- What d'ya mean?  
\- You've just lectured him in quite a superior tone - he whispered in Riki's mouth.  
\- Oh. Have I? - Riki asked, between the kisses, but didn't seem to be interested in the answer.  
\- Yes, definitely.  


When Riki was seventeen, he was most endearing creature Iason could imagine. All that untamed energy, all his courage in standing against Iason, and even his pointless rage, all of it made him nearly cute in Iason's eyes. Iason used to chain him up back then, and enjoyed the view undoubtedly, but what he really wanted, was Riki fulfilling his orders without chains. Well, all good things to those who wait. Of course, Riki could be easily (relatively) forced to behave, since for every creature there's an amount of pain after reaching which one does behave. But that would made too big damage to mongrel's mind. It was never Iason's intention to destroy Riki. The boy was phisically quite strong, so when he was in aggressive mood, Iason would probably have to use so much force to keep him in place, that it would leave Riki's skin deeply bruised. It was not Iason's intention either. So he used to chain him up, letting him curse and kick and fling as much as he wanted, because he knew Riki needed this kind of ritual to keep his self-respect, and because it was endearing. Neverminding his verbal protests, Iason would pet him, gently at first, then almost violently, since Riki's body reacted quite positively to that. The mongrel rather liked it rough, to say things plainly. Iason could easily see the moment in which pain become bigger than pleasure, by the way Riki was trying to move away, by the noises he made, even by the change in his breathing. While making sex with him, the Blondie usually kept his actions just around that border, stepping it on purpose from time to time, to keep the boy at edge, but never going far enough to actually hurt him. After a year or so, he tamed Riki enough to resign from the chains. While not chained the mongrel completely didn't know what to do with his hands. He usually dug them in the sheets. He rarely touched Iason. But it didn't matter since his responsiveness was quite enough prize. At the age of eighteen, the mongrel was so responsive it was enough to blow at him gently in the right places to give him a hard-on. These were most adorable memories.

As one could expect, 35-years old Riki was a somewhat different lover. Erections at command have been gone for quite some time. But Iason had no reason to complain. As Riki grew up, he become more considerate lover, more aware what he was doing, paying more attention to details, and to his partner. Not to mention that he's made a conscious decision to forgive Iason those years of captivity. Iason waited for that decision for quite a long time, but right now - no, now he had absolutely no reason to complain.

***

They were supposed to have breakfast together, at the lobby. Hope was late. Riki was talking on the phone, again. Iason started eating.  
\- It was Raoul. - said Riki, putting the phone on the table. Iason looked at him surprised. Raoul rarely had any direct business to Riki. - He said Katze's sort of freaking out. He ask me to manipulate Hope into inviting Katze for some kind of creepy movies marathon, so that he wasn't able to think about you know, that.  
\- Would you?  
Riki shuddered.  
\- Sure. I'll try.  
Iason took a deep breath and reached for a cup.  
\- Perhaps I should have done it myself.  
\- You mean the shutting down? No, Iason, I think you did a very good thing. Important one. It's sort of symbolic I think. And Katze is actually very proud of that.  
\- Who is proud of what?  
Hope asked, entering the lobby. She was wearing a pink night-dress, her feet bare.  
\- Katze - answered Riki looking at her - Of downloading another eight of original, unaltered versions of Star Wars movies.  
\- Cool. We're going to watch them today, aren't we?  
Riki gave her his cellphone.  
\- Call him.  
Hope grabbed the phone and throw herself at the sofa, legs in air.  
\- Well, hell-llo Katze - she sing-songed, smiling. - What's your favorite scary movie?  


***

When Hope was eight she found a caterpillar in the park. Iason made a "no animals" rule, but a caterpillar was not exactly an animal, after all. They put it into a big jar with all sorts of plant leaves to eat. The insect was eating and growing, and the girl was sitting next to the jar for hours, watching the green thing getting fat. After few weeks, the caterpillar made the cocoon and Hope become petrified by the though she could miss the moment of the butterfly coming out. Being as stupborn as her father, she was ready to deprave herself of sleep for few days, if Katze hadn't installed on the jar a system of movement sensors with alarm attached. Iason wondered why Katze bothered. It was, after all, a child's caprice. The system worked well, and Hope was woken up in the middle of the night by alarm sound. The butterfly was being born, to the accompaniment of girl's nervous laughter.  
Aferwards, there was that more difficult part. Riki had warned Hope that the butterfly was to go back to the park, but Hope was not exactly keen on that idea.  
\- You see that colors on its' wings? - Riki asked, pointing the butterfly inside the jar. - These wings are covered with extremly delicate flecks. Every time its wings hit the glass, their loose some of these flecks. That's why you can't touch it. You'd destroy its wings with your index finger. And that's why we need to let it out. It will die if we let it hit the glass all the time.  
Actually, those were not flecks. Those were scales. But Iason didn't think it mattered at the moment.

Riki and Cal went with Hope together, to set the butterfly free in the park. Riki was carrynig the jar, and Cal was carying Hope. She was getting big and too heavy for a man as slim as Cal, but he seemed to like holding her. Watching the three of them together, Iason realised that depraving mongrels of the real families was the most cruel thing Jupiter had ever done.

But at that time, there was no Jupiter anymore.

Iason learned a lot watching Hope. Her completly random, rather poor genes contradicted with as good education as she could possibly get. That fact, plus an example of people of most different sorts, gave a rather peciular mix of savoir-faire and rawness. But even more interesting, for Iason, was the affection she got from literally all mongrels around. Cal adored her. Iason's other furnitures actually smiled when she was around and that was something unusal, even inappropriate. Katze put up with many nonsenses because of her. Daryl and other Riki's friends almost competed for the name of favourite uncle. And she actually wasn't even particuraly polite to any of them.

***

Oh, yes, and so there was Daryl. Daryl who was officialy dead, so for some years after that pitiful incident with letting Riki run away, he could show his face nowhere outside Ceres. That was of course Iason's subtle method of punishment. Few months later Iason would have the things cleared out, but before that act of grace, he had just let the boy live with the burden of non-existence.

It was Iason's idea that Katze should train Daryl to be his 2IC, but Katze had been looking for the right candidate for quite a long time. In the beginning, Daryl wouldn't be much of help since he couldn't be seen, but he could do wonders with computers.

The Blondie had Daryl broght to his appartment the day after Katze got shot. He should have forewarn Riki, probably. But well, he couldn't deny himself the pleasure of seeing his face.  
Son of the bitch! - as a way of saying hello, Riki punched Daryl in face. The next second, Iason catched his pet from behind. The boy tried to wrestle out. - You asshole! - Iason didn't know Riki was adressing him of Daryl. Or both. - You told me he's dead! - That part, was defienietly for Iason.  
\- Since he is not - Iason answered - you are going to kill him yourself?  
\- Asshole - Riki stated and stopped struggling, pretending to calm dawn. But Iason released him only after dragging him five steps away from Daryl. This way, when Riki made another attempt to jump to the boy's throat, Iason could catch him halfway.  
\- Sit down, Daryl - the Blondie said, holding Riki's arm. Daryl, obviously feeling quite uneasy, went toward the sofa. Riki struggled one more time, violently, but Iason's grip didn't even twitched, and Iason knew his thumb had just made a bruise on mongrel's skin.  
\- You could have warned me, you know - Riki murmured.  
\- I could have - Iason admitted.  
Daryl watched them from the sofa, unsure what to say.  
Riki sighed.  
\- Alright - he said finally. - You gonna hold me like this all day? Or should I just sit as far from him as possible?  
Iason looked at Daryl.  
\- That depends. Do you have any trust in him? - he asked his exfurniture.  
\- I suppose I have no choice, Master.  
Iason let go of Riki.  
\- You have ten minutes for whatever you have to say to each other. I want Daryl unharmed when I'm back - he said and left the room. Daryl got up out of habit.  
For a long moment both mongrels stood there, looking at each other.  
\- He should have warned me - Riki said finally, putting his hands in pockets.  
Daryl sighed.  
\- Riki...  
\- I'm sorry. I'm sorry and... thank you. For... that.  
\- That was over two years ago.  
\- And got you death sentence. I didn't know, Daryl, I would never wanted you to...  
\- I did that out of curiosity. I knew you wouldn't get very far. Just wanted to see if you try.  
Riki chuckled.  
\- Well, it sort of worked anyway.  
They were silent for a long moment.  
\- That's not the only thing I'm sorry for.  
\- That's okay.  
\- No, it's not.  
Silence, again.  
\- Ten minutes... - Daryl started.

\- Is not enough.  
\- It's okay, really - Daryl smiled. - Some time later we'll go through all of it over a bottle of black-market whisky.  


***

The doctors woke Katze up two days later. Iason gave him half a day to come around, before he announced all the breaking news to him. Riki wanted to be present - somehow, he didn't believe Iason was the right person to pass this kind of information. So, he was sitting there, next to Katze's bed, observing the two of them talking and he realized he was wrong. He underestimated the bound Iason and Katze shared; they ability to communicate and understand each other was actually much better developed that the one Iason shared with Riki.  


Katze would be put in the coma in three days. One third of his lungs would be removed, what, togehter with the part removed earlier, would leave him with no more than 30 percent of lung tissue - far too little to breath. That's why he'd stay in the coma, connected to the machine that would oxygenate his blood, until the organ for transplant would grow - that is, over four months.

Iason's voice was calm and soothing, but flat in the same time. Riki knew this voice left Katze no options to object. Objections wouldn't be taken into consideration. Even though, Katze tried.

\- Why couldn't they wait at least some time before the removal? If I leave the market for four months...  
\- I won't risk you - Iason said firmly, understanding it as the very end of discussion.  
Katze wet his lips with his tongue. Riki could see not only speaking, but even thinking was difficult for him. And that this fact was pissing him off. Iason saw that too.  
\- And don't even think I'll let you be woken up before the transplant. You won't be lying here in front of the laptop whithout the possibility of taking a breath for months - he answered the question Katze would have asked if he managed. - Don't make a martyr of yourself.  
Katze closed his eyes and nodded, slightly. Iason hand, in light blue velvet glove, traced the side of Katze's face, just beneth the scar.  
\- We do have emergency plan, after all, don't we? - The Blondie said with a tiny smile. For a moment, Riki felt jelaous.  
\- You want to take over?  
\- I think the boys should manage. This would be more developmental. The market is stable enough to allow us taking the risk of letting some fresh blood in.  
Katze looked at Riki. The boy smiled at him. Katze smiled too.  
\- You look much better - the dealer said.  
\- Don't worry about me.  
\- You'll do fine - he said and then, adressed Iason. - Just watch this squirt closely, will you?  
Riki raised his brow.  


_Squirt?_

***

\- Hello, Katze.  
\- Hi. - Katze gave Cal a pat at the shoulder and entered the hall, getting his jacket off - Where's the rest of the squirt squad?  
Cal rolled his eyes while taking Katze's jacket from him. Squirt squad was a name Katze created long time ago, when Hope was a little girl, for Cal, Riki and Hope, since within the penthouse, they rather sticked together. And since they were squirts. But it was over ten years ago and Cal felt sort of bored of being called like that.  
\- Riki's with Master in his office. Hope's in the kitchen flirting with Jim. They imagine we don't know.  
\- Oh - Katze walked toward the terrace. Cal put the jacket into the wardrobe and followed him. - That gives me time to have a cig. What Riki and Iason think about it?  
\- About Hope and Jim?  
\- No, about my smoking - he chuckled ironically. Of course he meant Hope and Jim.  
\- There are not too happy but I have a feeling all of you have some other things to worry right now.  
\- You feel right - Katze admitted. As Cal had predicted, he didn't explain it further. They entered the terrace. Katze took a cigarette-case from his pocket.  
\- You should at least not use them together with nicotine patches - Cal pointed at Katze's arm. - You provide far too much nicotine into your body.  
\- These are old - Katze said. - I can't throw them away at Raoul's place. I have a notion he made his people pick them out from the litter bins and count, in order to know how many I use.  
\- He cares for you.  
\- You have no idea how pissing off caring may be - Katze said.  
\- Living in this house for fifteen years? I believe I do.  
Katze lit the cig and let the smoke out. It reached the forcefield and slowly drifted through it, while the forcefield shined with little blue sparkles.  
\- This really is quite a something - Katze noticed, - this forcefield.  
\- Yeah. - Cal sat at the vedge of the balustrade. - Hasn't... hasn't Raoul said once that it can be carcinogen?  
\- No - Katze smiled. - Believe me. Not once.  


***

\- This is carcinogen, Iason - Raoul was standing in the middle part of Iason's terrace, gazing up at the android which was just finishing installation of Iason newest idea - the forcefield.  
\- Not that much.  
Raoul gave him a look.  
\- The amount of quicksliver...  
\- Would matter if this thing was just above your head. And it's over three meters above.  
Raoul sighed.  
\- Let's get inside. I'd gladly slice your brain if you ever get a tumor, but there's no-one in Tanagura I'd allow to dig in mine.  
Iason smiled, as he followed his friend inside.  
\- There are disadvantages of being the best in your profession.  
\- Yes, there are - admitted Raoul wryly. He sat beside a little round table, with breakfest already waiting for them. - Speaking of which, Iason, you do remember that I still have your legs in my frigde, don't you?  
\- I sincerly hope you are not keeping them in your appartment.  
\- God forbid. My furniture still has nervous tics after he found human eyeballs where he excpcected olives.  
\- You brought work home again, so to speak?  
\- Look who is talking. You need to get that surgery.  
\- I will. I will. As soon as you liberate Katze.  
\- And let him destroy these beautifull lungs my people had made for him? This weather will kill him.  
\- There's no-one else here I trust enough to be left alone with this mess. Legs have to wait, then.  
\- You have office with thirty workers.  
\- Thirty two, and none of them has Katze's balls. So to...  
\- So to speak - Raoul said in the same time. - You know this guy is a mess now. I can see he is smart and devoted to you but he would need time to get back on his feet. You can't put him back to work and expect he'll be efective from a very first day. You want to wait another half of a year before you... - he cleaned his throat - get back on your own feet?  
\- If I have to.  
\- Hopeless as usual. How Riki is doing, anyway?  
\- With the market? As well as one could expect. He's prevented it from collapsing.  
\- Not too astonishing, then?  
\- He had absolutely no preparation for this. He is smart but chaotic. This is a very first situation in his life he is forced to be systematic. He lets things slip. I used to hope he'd made a good team with Daryl, who'd been taught to be systematic and ordered, but doesn't get well enough with people and has completely no natural social skills. Which Riki does have. Unfortunetly, it seems it doesn't work this way.  
\- Katze has it all, then?  
\- Katze has it all - said Iason absently. - That's why I need him back as soon as possible.  
\- Correction: you need him as soon as possible in as good health as possible. Both phisical and mental.  
\- Mental?  
\- And why do you think he was smoking like a chimney for twelve years?  
\- You are suggesting I'm putting too much on him?  
\- It's not the amount of work. It's its type. Too much responsibility for too many people and too much money. Katze used to destroy people at your command. Empathy and regrets are normal brain reaction for a non-Elite. I'll tell you more than that - our brains have about twelve percent less neural connections between the amygdalae and the rest of brain in order to block that kind of... empathy. It was actually considered a medical pathology on Earth.  
\- We are a medical pathology?  
\- In classical terms, we are psychopaths.  
\- One has to be irrational to be human?  
Raoul frowned.  
\- This is how nature made them. Don't blame me for that. It's not the question of his judgment, his reason, his intelligence or so called spirit. He may have it all. But his brain is unprepared - on the very physical level - to bear such responsibility. It's the matter of chemical balance. You've put Katze on position with responsibility that should be taken by an Elite. That's how it should work. We've been created merciless so that others could stay both humane and mentally stable. Katze used to canalize that stress by smoking. Now when he can't, he'll probably develop a neurosis.  
\- You have a solution to this, of course.  
Raoul raised a brow.  
\- Of course. This neural connections I've mentioned can be blocked manually. Not so many of them, perhaps, since it would alter his personality. But four, five percent... would do.  
\- So?  
\- So?  
\- So why isn't it done already?  
\- Well, I'm not sure - Raoul's voice become sligtly ironic. - Perhaps because you've mentioned something about considering this particular property of yours free to make decisions about himself on his own? I don't know. You may have also added something about him earning this act of grace by saving your life. Something like that.  
\- Oh. Have I?  
\- Very much so.  
\- And you think that given a choice, he'll not agree to this little brainwashing.  
\- It's not brainwashing. But he is likely to consider it this way. They tend to be awfully touchy when it comes to brain alterations, have you noticed?  
\- Awfully - Iason admitted wryly.  


***

When Raoul left, Iason went to Riki's room. The boy was asleep, as expected. It was nine o'clock, after all. He was wearing a t-shirt, underwear and socks, he was sleeping on the top of his counterpane, using its corner as a pillow. At the table next to the bed, there was a half-empty coffee cup, laptop, two tablets, his new cell and a bunch of papers. The Blondie sat at the chair next to the table and looked at the boy.

Iason considered himself a rather lenient master. Riki had never been beaten, starven, depraved of sleep. As a punishment, Iason had usually just taken away his privilages - whether those were going out of this appartment, or of his room, or wearing regural clothes, or - in the beginning - wearing clothes at all. The Blondie had used the pet ring too, but rarerly, and never revealing its full potential. For most of the time, Riki had been allowed to wander around the whole appartment, even when no-one had supervised him. And to stay in his room when Iason had had guests and the pet would had been normally expected to sit in the main room and look pretty. He had been allowed to speak when he hadn't been spoken to, a privilage no pet had. He had been allowed to smoke, to drink and get drunk, to pick the clothes he wanted to wear (except for the special occasions), to decide - within the common sense - about his meals. The Blondie had trained him slowly, letting him get used to every new thing. When Iason had used to force the boy to masturbate in front of him, crashing resistance not with force but with inhuman consequency, he had always let Riki be alone afterwards, to cry, to curse, to kick the walls, whatever he'd needed. Of course, Riki didn't know it was a privilage. He didn't know many things. Like, for example, the fact Iason hadn't plan to let Riki call him by his first name. In the very begining, he had been determined to force the mongrel to call him "Master". But, well. Riki had refused to accept that with such consequency, that it had made the procedure boring beyond tedious. Every dialogue between them had been interrupted with Iason reprimending Riki to adress him correctly. And every time, Riki had forgotten about that after no more than three minutes. Twenty minutes, if he had gotten punished. Iason had been too interested with the things the mongrel had been saying to interrupt his every sentence, so... He had just resigned before Riki would notice his inconsequence. Since that moment, Riki called Iason by his name even in front of other people and never realised it was his first victory over the Blondie.

Really, lenient. When you save the life of a thief, when you pick up an underfed teenage thief from the street, one could think you should demand more of him.

The boy was polite these days, within narrow bounds of possibility, and showed Iason much more respect than before, but one could feel he was alerted, and Iason was sure the very first moment he'd try to shorten the list of Riki's little freedoms, the mongrel would give him hell. Iason had decided to take a step back. Give Riki as much space as possible. The tension caused by black market duties was enough for the boy right now.

From that night after Katze got shot, that is, nearly five months ago, they didn't have sex. Iason wouldn't initiate it, waiting for Riki's move. He knew the boy felt uncomfortable with Iason's prothesis, and there was no hurry, after all. Strangely, intimacy between them had grown since that time. As if - Iason had an uneasy thought - as if Riki felt safer with Iason right now, when he felt Iason wouldn't drag him to bed. As if Riki actually did hate it, not only claimed to hate. Iason told himself he had absolute right to do whatever he wanted with Riki, but to his own surprisement, it didn't make him feel any better.

Riki opened his eyes, immediately meeting Iason's.

\- You are staring - he said.  
\- Yes - Iason answered.  
\- Why are you staring?  
Iason smiled.  
\- I like looking at you.  
\- This I know - Riki yawned - but usually when I'm doing something more interesting.  
Iason's smile got wider.  
\- Come. I want to show you something - he said, getting up and reaching out a hand in Riki's direction.  
That was one of this moments in which Iason could see, clearly, an inner fight in Riki. Part of the boy still wished to simply answer him "fuck off I'm still sleeping". But he got up, scratched his head, and catched Iason's hand. He let himself be led toward the door with a deep sigh that could be only read as a sign of iritation.  


Iason led him to the main lobby, and then, to the terrace door.  


\- It's cold outside - Riki noticed.  
\- No, it's not. Come - Iason opened the door, and they went out. The temperature was just a bit lower than inside, still pleasant. Riki, surprised, let go of Iason's hand. The Blondie walked towards the balustrade and reached out his hand. His palm touched the forcefield and it lit in blue. - I know you find staying inside all the time rather depressing. You literally colonized this terrace during the summer. And since it seems we are going to have a long winter... I didn't want to see you suffocate before the spring.  
It took a moment for Riki to apprehance what Iason was saying. Then, the boy smiled.  
\- That's... That's cool.  
He'd never seen something like that. And, after all, due to his odious profession, he'd been to some quite luxurious places.  
\- I hoped you'd like it.  
\- When d'ya... when was it done?  
\- During the night. I wanted to surprise you. That android above your head is still finishing, that's why it's colder here than inside.  
Riki smiled wider. He walked toward Iason and, after moment of hestitation, leaned into his arms.  
\- Well. No more throwing fags over the balustrade - Riki noticed. Iason's arms closed on Riki's back.  
\- There's that ancient, snobistic device, called an ashtray.  
\- No shit - Riki laughed. He moved his head a bit up, to meet Iason's mouth.The kiss wasn't very deep, but was not too innocent either. It was Riki who started it and Riki who broke it, and Iason did nothing to prevent him from that. The mongrel placed his head on Iason's arm, not breaking the embrance. - Thanks - he said. He could have meant the forcefield, but Iason had the impression there was something else.  


***

The ash from Katze's cigarette fell on the terrace floor.  
\- Ashtray, asshole! - Riki shouted. Katze turned his gaze at him and smiled. - How are things going?  
Katze sighed.  
\- And how do you expect? You are lucky I actually like that little parasite, otherwise I'd be really pissed off.  
Cal moved his gaze from Katze to Riki, trying to understand the point of this conversation.  
\- Raoul made Riki made Hope made me promise I'll spend over six hours with her today, watching eight houndred years old movies - Katze explained with a sigh. Cal chuckled.  
\- May I ask why?  
Riki rolled his eyes and Katze turned his gaze away.  
\- Redhead is stressed out. Overworked, I'd say - Riki murmured.  
\- Alright. I'll go before you start to cipher - he said, understanding there's something more there. Something they couldn't talk about. He pushed himself away from the balustrade - Give me those - he pointed at Katze's nicotine patches - I'll flush them in the toilet.  
Katze removed the patches and handed it to Cal, ignoring Riki's curious look.  
\- I'll miss him - Riki said, when Cal left the terrace.  
\- You've told him about it?  
\- Hell no. He's looking for an excuse to stay. He won't get it from me. You really should quit, you know. Wanna have third lungs in one lifetime?  
Katze winked on him.  
\- I know the guy who'll give me a discount.  
\- Seriously...  
\- Seriously. We are on the edge of a civil war and you are worrying about my smoking habits. I have Raoul for that, thanks.  
Katze's voice showed irritation. Riki sighed. He knew something about overprotective Blondies, after all.  
\- Pissing off lately, huh?  
For some reason Katze laughed.  
\- He is scared. Fucking scared he may loose me. He is monitoring my sleeping schedule and panicks if I skip one night. He still have that crazy idea of having a baby clone of me, saying it would be fascinating to have a little mongrel with my IQ to be brought up with proper education. That it may the masses of people believe every mongrel child should have the chance. Like he's ever cared about either masses or mongrels.  
Riki frowned.  
\- You know, this would be the only chance for you to become a father. And that's not that bad idea, really.  
\- It's creepy. I can't imagine looking at little me. And he'd like to do that not because he wants a baby but because he wants a little me. He knows I'll die long before him.  
Riki somehow didn't believe this statement needed a comment. Katze continued.  
\- I sincerly hope I'd die a violent death that would smash my head over the wall, otherwise that geek would put my brain in a jar and try to communicate with it.  
Riki chuckled.  
\- Stop smoking and skipping the nights so maybe you'll ease his paranoia.  
\- I may not sleep well at nights, but with this movie marathon your squirt forced me into, I'll sleep like a baby. Not that bad idea, after all.  
\- I though you liked Star Wars.  
\- I do. First nine parts are watchable. The rest is not.  
\- Be grateful Hope is not in Bela Lugosi mood today.  
\- Why? I'd sleep even better on that - he smiled. He looked towards the terrace door. - There she comes.  
There she came. Black hair falling loosely at her arms, black t-shirt under silk shirt with unstitched sleeves, tight black jeans and heavy-duty shoes, completly inapropriate indoors, but she loved to wear them, and she wasn't allowed to do it at school. The laces in the shoes were bright pink.  
\- I'll be damned - Katze crushed the cigarette. - Hope the fucking Dark.  
\- The pink part - Riki turned his head and whispered - is after her mother.  


***

Leaving Katze with Hope, Riki went to say goodbye to Iason. The mongrel was almost ready to go to the Centre. Almost. But one sudden matter kept him from leaving.

\- It's grey - Riki stated, holding Iason's single hair in two fingers.  
\- It's not.  
\- Of course it is.  
Riki was standing above sofa Iason was sitting on.  
\- It's fair blond - Iason stated, rerading a newspaper. He did not lift his eyes on Riki. The mongrel put one knee on the sofa, to lean forward the Blondie.  
\- You don't have that fair hair since you'd cut them. It's grey.  
\- Its very fair and very thin, that's why it looks white - he said, with that flat, inemmotional tone of voice of his. - The driver is waiting, you know.  
\- He is not paid by the hour.  
\- Since when you don't respect other people's time? - Iason mocked him - You keep telling me they deserve...  
\- Since you've spoiled me - Riki answered honestly. - Face it - the mongrel grinned, leaning closer to Iason. - I'm still young. You - are not.  
\- Have a nice day, Riki - the Blondie stated in the voice so icy cold, that any witness would wonder, just why the hell Riki burst out laughing.  


***

The Centre Riki worked in was placed just at the edge of Eos in the very center of Tanagura. There were plans to build it outside the borders but Raoul and Iason wanted to keep a close eye on it. For the first few years the Center resembled a kind of colony or enclave. About 5 thousand mongrels lived there, in tiny, 2 or three people rooms with big windows and decent furnishing. Right now it resembled more of a dormitory - a stop between Ceres and actual normal life somewhere in the city. When the mongrels came, they brought their values, lifestyles and problems together with them, so the Center was not free from drugs, stout and illegal prostitution, but Riki felt they - that is he, Katze, Daryl and Guy - managed it quite well. He'd learned long ago that who controls the black market, controls mongrels. And Katze was as good as always with it.

There were rumors, from the very beginning, that the whole Center was Riki's doing. People could hardly imagine the ways of an Elite's mind, so they used to think that Riki had become a pet with intention of using Iason's bed to convince him to help Ceres. Even now some of them imagined that Riki was able to make Iason do whatever Riki wanted by blowing him off. Riki learnt to laugh at that. Not only because it was absolutely impossible to force Iason to do anything he didn't want to, but also because this Center was actually his Blondie's idea.

*** 

At the end of that November, fourteen years ago, the temperature dropped to thirty Celcius degrees below zero, forty five at night. During nights like that, people froze in the streets, died of exhoustion in uhneated flats, were asphyxiated during attempts of warming themselves.

Riki stood at the terrace, his face turned to the direction of Ceres. Always dark, it was even darker now. Yesterday, there was quite a big fire there, but today, it was completly dark. Riki heard Iason approaching, but didn't look in his direction.

\- They are dying out there - he said simply, and Iason embraced him from behind.  
\- Do you think your old gang would trust in you again? - he asked.  
\- Have no idea. Why?  
\- Because you are going to need them.  


Iason made the case clear and simple. Computer simulation, based on detabasis aboout this kind of winters on Earth, showed very clearly that in spring, there will be 10 thousand of dead bodies in Ceres. Bodies that would start to melt and decompose, giving an odour smelled in Midas for sure, if not in the whole city. Those fifteen thousant people who survive may become victims of epidemy which is also very probable to spread on the nearest districts. Not to mention, these people would be furious and desperate enough to start a fight. Of course Tanagura has forces to stop it all. But saving these people now will be cheaper. And odourless.

Twelve warehouses inside of the city were prepared as temporal shelter for those who would agree to leave Ceres. Warm, with beds and with food served. Of course, not all mongrels would agree. Not all would have to, the Guardian, for example, was safe enough. But most of people was reluctant to leave because they didn't trust the citizens. Or Elites. That's why Iason needed Riki on that. And Riki needed as much help as he could get.

***

 Riki's memories from that winter was clouded. He could remember a long talk with his old friends, trying to convince them this is not any kinf of Blondie's trick. Couldn't be. If Iason wanted to hurt Bison, kill them, or simply poison all 25 thousands of Ceres inhabitants, he'd do it and wouldn't bother himself with any kind of evil plots. He remembered talking to Guy, but couldn't recall any actual words. Cal was present during that talk; Iason ordered him that, and made Riki promise. Riki remembered a long way back, air heavy with unsettled matters between all of them. Then, he remembered weeks, months maybe, of humdrum work, consisting mostly of convincing the mongrels to leave their homes behind and go with the rescue team. Every team consisted of two solders, one nurse and one mongrel. Every day, they brought few hundred people to the shelters. Riki though his muscles would betray him first, but it was his throat. He repeated ad nauseam - no, it's not a trick. No, the elites didn't suddenly start to care, they just do what their leader told them to. Did the leader start to care? Riki was not sure of that. Perhaps the leader just though saving them would be more profitable than burying them.

***

Iason got home early, that in those days meant before midnight. He stopped in the bathroom door and watched Riki, washing his teeth. The mirror in front of the mongrel was steam-covered, Riki couldn't see him. The boy was completely wet, completely naked, standing in the middle of a big puddle. Never, NEVER did Riki grow into a habit of wiping himself up instead of getting the whole bathroom wet. Iason wondered how his bathroom in Ceres could have looked like. Giving poor ventilation and lack of servicing, it probably resembled a professional fungus farm.  
The mongrel noticed something in the mirror and used his hand to wipe it.

\- Hi, Blondie - he said to the reflection.  
\- Hi.  
Iason took few steps forward and stopped just behind Riki. Then he bend over to kiss his arm.  
\- How are things going?  
\- Not bad - Riki split to the wash stand. - Five more years and we may be able to convince all of them.  
\- Every person you bring from there is a potentially saved life. So don't get frustrated.  
\- I'm not. I just wouldn't like to see all of this work wasted.  
\- It won't be wasted. I promise.  
Riki washed his mouth and looked at Iason through the mirror.  
\- Raoul insists you get a CAT scan - Blondie said.  
\- Why?  
\- He thinks you may have a haematoma or a lupus.  
Riki realized Iason was smiling. They were standing like that for a long moment, looking at each other through the mirror. Iason's smile got wider. Riki raised his brow.  
\- Really - he stated.  
\- Yes.  
\- But I don't have headaches, nor anything. Why he got that idea?  
\- You are too nice, he said. You were actually polite to him yesterday. He is seriously worried.  
\- But you explained him I'm a self-interested two-faced bastard who'll do anything to get what he wants. Right?  
\- No. I didn't. I told him you'd learned your lesson and you were a good pet from now on.  
\- Shit. My opinion is ruined.  
\- I scheduled the scan for Tuesday.  
Riki suddenly turn over to face Iason. They were inches from each other.  
\- You are worried too! - he exclaimed. - You are actually worried!  
\- Everybody are worried. Cal is worried. Katze is worried. You are... not you recently.  
That was true. More or less. Cal realized the usage of ibuprofen and hydrocodonum within the household looked as if one of the servants opened an illegal drugstore. Anybody who lived or worked here, that is up to 10 people, could use that drugs, Iason was rich enough not to settle accounts with his slaves or workers about their migraines, but the version that Riki managed to consume most of them himself, seemed somehow more probable. Beside, he was behaving strange, anyway. Too quiet. Too polite. Too nice.  
\- Cal is worried you say? And he told on me? I can arrange some serious brawl if that would make you two feel better. You said the lobby needs redecoration anyway.  
\- No, please - Iason laughed shortly and kissed Riki's forehead, getting boy's head in his both hands. He suspected Riki was still in pain, but since the pain could be psychosomatic, demanding he opened himself in that matter could do more harm than good. Iason rarely felt so helpless. He couldn't just order Riki to feel good.  
\- The scan won't harm you. Let the doctors do their job.  
\- You know it doesn't make slightest sense. You know me. I am me. I am tired me.  
\- Yes and I know Raoul. He won't shut up. And you could use a half day off anyway.  
\- Why is he worried about me, anyway?  
\- He knows I'll be unbearable if something happens to you.  
\- Nice.  
Iason kissed his mouth slightly.  
\- Now, I suspect you want to put your tired you to bed?  
\- Yes, if my Master allows me to - he said, his voice kittenish.  
\- And you wonder why I'm worried.  
\- I'll make sure to break something on my way to bed, for my Master's comfort - he smiled, kissing the inner side of Iason's palm and released himself gently from blondie's grip. Iason stayed in the bathroom alone, looking at the puddle under his feet. He laughed out aloud when he actually heard the sound of broken glass behind his back.  


***

\- Kids? - Riki looked at Guy with surprisement.  
\- Yeah. We want kids. Two or three, for the time being.  
Riki gave him a nasty smile.  
\- But you do know that the fact Daryl has no balls doesn't exactly make him a woman, right?  
\- Really, Riki, you are such a shithead sometimes. - Guy sighed. They were standing on the balcony, looking at the kids playing in the garden of the Center. - We want to adopt children. From the nurseries.  
\- Daryl works in the management of the nurseries anyway. You don't find it strange he wants too... bring work to home?  
Guy looked at Riki's smile and decided the issue didn't require further comment.  
\- No. I'm not. And I have a question. Formal one.  
\- Yes?  
\- I've had a citizenship for two years now. If I adopt a three-years old child, would it...  
\- No, it wouldn't. Nor three-years old, nor two years old, nor a new born baby can get a citizenship from you in a process of adoption.  
\- Why?  
Riki sighed, turned around, and sat on the floor, leaning against the wall. Guy joined him.  
\- Law regulations.  
\- Which can be changed. I though that's all of this is about. About making things better.  
\- We can't create this kind of precedent. If a citizenship could be gained through adoption, believe me, till next year people would be making the regular business of it. Adopting teenagers just formally, for money, sex services or home service. Fourteen, fifteen years old kids would buy their citizenship this way.  
\- So?  
\- SO? This would give us just another kind of black economy, completly without our control. People would trade with that.  
\- You want to forbid something completly because somebody may use it in wrong way?  
\- Not me. I'm not the one to decide, it would be something for the senate, or even the council. But I'm in it for over twelve years now. Believe me. They won't agree. But I'll talk with Iason and Raoul if you want me to.  
\- I don't see how you could convince them to something you don't believe in yourself - guy raised his voice a bit.  
Riki put his head on Guy's arm, tried to talk with a soothing voice.  
\- You have to trust me od that. This kind of regulation would do more harm than good.  
\- I don't see how helping somebody could make harm.  
\- You never did, if I recall correctly.  
\- Thanks.  
Guy made a little try to move away, but Riki didn't move his head. So they stayed as they were.  
\- You should'n really worry about it. Kids born before their parents gained citizenship don't get it automatically either. My kid didn't.  
\- Your kid is a protégé of Iason Mink, she doesn't need anything else.  
\- Normally, those kids get a kind of trans-pass, are accepted in most of schools, take matriculation exams just like all the others, get medical insurance, everything. A child doesn't need citizen rights anyway, right? They don't work or buy houses or get married. And they apply for full citizenship as soon as they are of age. They usually get it.  
\- Usually?  
\- Well, last year there were three cases of refusal. First kid had alerady stole three cars, the other had beaten the member of the comitee...  
Guy laughed.  
\- All right, all right, I get it. He reached to his pocket for cigs, and passed one to Riki.  
\- But I WILL ask some people about it. And I think it's a great idea. For you two to have kids.  
\- I'm sorry I've jumped on you.  
\- Don;t mention it - said Riki, and took fire from Guys lighter.  
\- I need to tell you something - Guy continued, as he lit his own cig. - Hope was here a month ago.  
\- How did she get here?  
Riki puffed on the cig. He could hardly take the taste of cheap ciggarets anymore. The brand he used to smoke right now was about ten times more expensive, and really, you could feel it in their taste. But he always accepted, if somebody here treated him one. He considered it important they believed he was still one of them. Even if he didn't believe it himself.  
\- By bus? - Guy asked ironically. - She asked me for some amph.  
\- Wh-- What?!  
The cigarette fell from Riki's mouth on his jeans. He managed to pick it before they got burned - and he burned his hand during the process. He hissed.  
\- She said she had too much to learn - Guy continued. - This semester was very difficult for her. She promised it would be the only time.  
\- And what did you do?  
\- I gave her some.  
Riki didn't have a problem with what Guy'd done to him fifteen years ago. It was, after all, a difficult situation for everybody. He was able to forget and forgive everything, including the fact that Guy castrated and nearly killed him. Simple common sins, really not worth mentioning. But THIS is something Guy is going to die for. In a minute.  
\- You. Did. WHAT?!  
Guy sighed.  
\- Listen, Riki. She would get it anyway, from less realiable source.  
\- Forgive me if I don't buy this explanation.  
\- Riki! It was you who'd brought her here in a first place. You wanted her to know us, and mongrels her age, and life out there. And she knows it well enough. She knows how to look for it. She is bold enough to approach any dealer around the corner and rich enough to buy everything he has, including his shoes. D'you know what kind of shit they sell those days in the street? At least we know she'll come to me if she wants more. At least you'll know you have a problem.  
\- That's fantastic - he said flatly. Guy said nothing. - All right, you're a good uncle. - Riki got up, sighing. - You are right, probably. Thanks for telling me. Be sure I'll pay you back when your kids grow.  
\- That's a promise or a thread?  
\- With kids, man? Its all the same.  


***

Hope was singing. Aloud, shamelessly. She had quite good voice, not very good, but good enough not to give the listeners a headache. She was sitting in the lobby in front of an easel, and making a portrait of Cal with a crayon. The portrait was just as good as her singing. She had the right feeling of space and proportions, but she neglected practicing. Riki stood behind her back, kissed the top of her head.  
\- What are you doing?  
\- School project. Still nature. For my finals in drawning.  
\- STILL nature? - Riki noticed Cal grinned.  
\- Yes. A furniture.  
Riki looked at Cal above the easel.  
\- And you've let her? - he asked, raising his brow.  
Cal shrugged.  
\- It is sort of funny.  
\- Assuming the teacher has the same creepy kind of sense of humour - Rik said.  
\- Don't you worry - Hope grinned. _ Mr Hess is as creepy as hell.  
Riki walked around the easel toward Cal and embraced him with one arm.  
\- But you know - he adressed Hope, - that you have only four months to finish this drawning.  
\- Why? - the girl asked.  
\- You haven't told her? - Riki adressed Cal.  
\- No one tells me anything, I bet he wanted to fit in the tradition - she stated sarcastically. - What's in four months?  
\- I'm turning thirty - Cal said. - I'll be freed.  
Hope smiled, her eyes widened.  
\- D'ya know what it means? - she asked happily.  
Riki and Cal looked at each other.  
\- That... your best friend gets citizenship? - Riki tried.  
\- No! That I'm officially without the nanny!  
Cal laughed, Riki sighed.  
\- But it doesn't mean you can have a hoverbike - he said.  
Hope rolled his eyes.  
\- Ow come on. Why are you so flat about that? Can't we discuss it at least?  
\- No, we can't.  
\- Why?  
\- Because you managed to cause a pile-up when we gave you a baby scooter.  
\- It was an accident. And I was seven.  
\- You've made all the biggest insurance companies change their policy about insurance for proteges. Your case is analysed at first-grade lectures on every law school in this city.  
The girl snorted.  
\- You know what Iason told me back then? That no matter how hard I try I would never manage to get more infamous than _you_.  
Riki shook his head in disbelievement. That was exactly why Blondies shouldn't rise children.  
\- Well at least I started creating my list of evil deeds _after_ I had lost my milk-teeths - he hissed and left them, heading for Iason's home office. He heard a snort after his back.  
\- I've created the monster - he said flatly, entering the room.  
\- You've seen Cal and Hope - Iason stated, not lifting his eyes on Riki. The mongrel sighed, sitting on the side of Iason's desk.  
\- Just when the hell did she become a malicious little shithead?  
\- Around the time she learned to talk.  
Riki chuckled.  
\- May I take you a minute?  
\- Of course - Blondie said, but his eyes were still fixed on the screen. Riki didn't get intimidated by that. He knew Iason had divided attention.  
\- Suppose a mongrel who's gained citizenship would like to adopt a child.  
\- He's free to do that.  
\- Yes. And would that child get a...  
\- No. We can't create such a precedense. This could lead...  
\- I know - Riki sighed. - I've just promised I'd ask.  
Iason noded his head, a little smile on his mouth proved he was pleased Riki understood this kind of things.  
\- Who wants to adopt a child?  
\- Daryl and Guy.  
\- Good for them. Of course, I could make them a favour and take a patronage over their kids, as long as they won't adopt a half of dozen of them.  
\- I'm afraid they may be heading to a full dozen, Iason. They are both kind of creatures that find the sense of their existence in taking care for the others.  
\- Oh. - Iason finally took his eyes away from computer and looked at Riki. - In than case better don't mention it.  
\- My thoughts precisely - Riki leaned forward to kiss Iason's mouth. The whole idea of patronage was about personal contact, personal guidince, and personal responsibility. Not about giving your name to a bunch of kids you didn't even have a chance to know.  
\- You taste cheap ciggarets - Iason noticed, although he had answered the kiss quite eagerly.  
\- I know - Riki sighed and got up. - I don't know how I could smoke this shit - he said, heading to the door.  
\- Don't ask me - Iason said, returning to his work. - I was always wondering.  



	3. Equality

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sex, finally.

Iason entered the living room to find Riki laying on the floor, his eyes fixed at the ceiling, fingers clasped on his chest. The evening was late, and considering how much work Riki had with evacuation of Ceres, Iason had expected him to be already in bed.  
“What exactly are you doing?” Iason walked around him and sat in the armchair. The light in the room was off, but the moons were in their full so they could clearly see each other.  
“My spine aches.”  
The Blondie smiled at him.  
“A massage would be more effective, you know.”  
“Don't want to,” Riki murmured.  
Iason ignored him and used his phone to call the furniture.  
“Get a masseur for Riki. The sooner the better,” he said and hang up. Riki snorted, obviously feeling too lazy to get irritated. Iason preferred him in that mood.  
“I don't feel comfortable benefiting from all these luxuries when that hell is going on outside,” he explained.  
Iason raised his brow.  
“The better shape you are in, the more effective you are in helping them. It's that simple. I've never understood the reasons of this irrationality of yours.”  
Riki smiled.  
“Emotions?” he tried, ironically.  
“Oh, yes. Emotions,” Iason laughed. "Explaining behavior I don't understand with ideas I don't know. You are in your most favourite rhetorical mode.”  
Riki turned his head to look at Iason.  
“If you didn't know how to feel your life would be probably much easier right now.” Iason bowed his head slightly.  
“Point taken,” he said.  
Riki's eyes moved back to the ceiling.  
“Speaking of which, Iason.”  
“Yes?”  
“Why we don't have sex?”  
Well, its been six months. The question had to appear someday.  
“Would you want us to?” Iason asked quietly.  
“Since when it matters if I want or not.”  
“Don't you think it should matter?”  
Riki made an impatient sound.  
“Spare me that part. You don't consider me your equal. You don't even believe in equality.”  
Iason made a mental note of the fact that the words were not bitter. They were a fact statement.  
“Right,” the Blondie said. Riki turned his head to look at him again. “You are not my equal. You will never be. But I want you to be happy. And I've learnt well enough that you will not be happy as a sex-servant.”  
“There is a difference,” Riki's voice became firm and deadly serious, “between sex and sex service.”  
Iason took a breath.  
“The only sex I've ever know was sex service.”  
That was a confession. That was as much honesty as Iason was capable of. He knew it wasn't much, he knew most of people was able to speak more openly about things more intimate. But for Iason, it was huge. He's just admitted his vulnerability and almost admitted his fear. He needed Riki to pick it up.  
The mongrel looked at him for a long moment, no particular expression on his face, and then, the corner of his lips twitched with a hint of a smirk.  
“Well you will just have to figure it out,” Riki said, moving his head to face the ceiling. “You and that big, swollen, sexy brain of yours.”  
And Iason knew he was being punished.  
The furniture, Pete, appeared at the door. Iason, with a slight nod, urged him to speak.  
“The masseur will be here in half an hour, Master." Iason nodded and Pete left. Riki smiled innocently.  
“Great,” he said, getting up. He kissed Iason's cheek on his way out of the room. “I'll go to take a shower.”  
Iason put his hand on his forehead. He was able to process integrals in his mind, damn it! The fact that in five years he wasn't able to figure out how to make Riki happy was... improbable. Impossible. Irrational.  
Approaching the barcounter he couldn't make up his mind between double espresso and double whisky. Eventually, he settled for both.  
Blondies did have sex. Obviously. With pets or whores, or even better with androids who could have their memory reseted right afterwords. Blondies just didn't have lovers. Shouldn't lovers be partners? Shouldn't partners be equal? There was no possibility for Riki to equal Iason, not on intellectual, physical, economical, legal level. Pretending otherwise would be offensive to Riki.  
Iason just couldn't imagine an intimate relation based on mutual consent between people of such in equal status. How was he to define such thing as a 'consent' from a person whose whole life was in Iason's power? Iason needed Riki to initiate intimacy completely on his own accord, unrushed. Of course, Iason should know better by now, that Riki would manage to say 'no' to him whenever Riki felt like it. But Iason felt that if he didn't leave it all to Riki, he would never know it for sure.  
Iason had never established any kind of close relationship with anybody, except Raoul, who obviously wouldn't be much help, and Katze. Well, Katze seemed quite comfortable in their relation. On the other hand, Iason had never asked him. _Should_ he ask him? Or share his doubts with him? The mongrel knew both Iason and Riki quite well after all, he could have some insights.  
No, Iason was not that desperate yet, besides, Katze was a castrate, what would he know?

***

Well, at that time, Katze know one thing: sex generally was a life-threatening pain in the ass (pun intended) that lead to trouble, social disorder, amputations and explosions. One should be very grateful one could live without it.  
Thirteen years later, Katze was very grateful his furniture training included most sophisticated kinds of blow jobs. Like, underwater.  
He let go of Raoul's cock the second the Blondie orgasmed and sat up, putting his hands on both edges of the bathtub.  
“I though you've thrown down there,” Raoul said.  
“That's what made you come so hard?” he chucked, panting.  
Raoul gave him a look.  
“You are a bit crazy, you know it?”  
“Don't tell anyone,” he moved closer and let Raoul embrace him, “they think I'm an anchor of sanity.”  
“Suckers.” Raoul smiled and so did Katze, putting his head on Raoul's arm. For a long moment Raoul just caressed his back.  
Through the widely open bathroom door, they heard a phone rang.  
“Yours?” Raoul asked, knowing the answer.  
“Yeah.” Katze released himself from Blondie's embrace and got out of the tub.  
“It's after midnight...”  
“So it might be important.” Katze said, grabbing the towel on his way. For a moment he was looking for the phone which was left somewhere in the bedroom,“Cal? Whats... yes, I'm listening....” Katze returned to the bathroom, propped against the wall, towel in one hand and phone in the other, and winked at Raoul. "Is she there too? Where? Ok, I'll be there.” He hanged out. "You won't believe it,” he said to Raoul.  
“I won't,” Raoul stated, feeling he won't believe it. Katze returned to the room to get his pants.  
“Cal and Hope are somewhere in Midas, deadly drunk,” he shouted from there, as Raoul was apparently not keen to leave the bathtub.  
“And they call you, the anchor of sanity, because...?”  
“They are afraid to call home. Riki would kill them.”  
“The old cow forgot she was a calf?”  
“Tell me about it.”  
“Anyway, does not Iason know about it? How is it that Iason's furniture and protege wander around in the middle of the night without any supervision? If any of mine had alohol in blood their tag would notice me automatically.”  
“I don't know.” Katze finished dressing. “I'll find out.”

***

Iason knew exactly where Cal was. And Iason couldn't care less.

There were leather cuffs on Riki's wrists, a thin steel cable connected them with the head of the bed. Cable was more convenient, they have learned, as the chains were heavier and unpleasantly cold. Iason was sitting on Riki's hips, each leg on the mongrel's side, his lips were working their way down Riki's chest, from the collarbone to the right nipple. There were heavy clover clamps on Riki's nipples, so even a slight touch of his tongue made Riki moan.  
And then...  
Riki's phone rang.  
“Iason...” Riki hissed meaningfully. Iason didn't react. "I have to get it. It's Katze. Its my Katze's ring.”  
“It's not important.” Iason's lips moved from his nipple towards his navel.  
“How...”  
“If it was important he'd called me,” the Blondie answered honestly, much to Riki's irritation.  
“Prick.”  
“He'll call again,” Iason stated, sitting up. The very same moment, they heard the sound of a text message coming in. Riki gave Iason _the look_. The you-may-have-an-upper-hand-now-but-tomorow-I'll-give-you-hell kind of look. And he would, God, Iason knew he would. That look was more effective than any kind of a safeword. They never had, actually, any safeword. Unless you consider 'enough' to be one.  
Iason rolled his eyes and reached out for the phone. It was on the floor, in the pocket of Riki's pants.  
“ _The squirts are with me_ ,” the Blondie read the text while sitting back on Riki's hips.” _Don't worry._ ”  
“Wha...” Riki shrugged violently, but his possibilities of movement were rather restricted. He could only bend is knee and hit Iason's back with it. Which he did.  
“He said,” Iason repeated, lowering his face towards Riki's, while he put the phone away, “ _don't worry_.”  
“Well, that's exactly why I'm worried.” Riki flung, but it was ignored. Iason was stroking Riki's penis as if nothing had happened.  
“Fuck you, Iason.”  
“That's the idea.”

***

It was some ten years ago, or something. Riki used to visit Iason's office quite often then. Sometimes, they had lunch together. Sometimes, they had sex. That time, Riki was sitting at the edge of Iason enormous desk and the leader of Tanagura was blowing him off. Riki opened his eyes for the moment, the panoramic view of the city hit him suddenly with profound realisation. Here he was, at the very top of the fucking world, in the office no more than 15 people was allowed to enter, and the leader of this planet, with all his grace and dignity and disposable leather gloves, was on his knees in front of him right now, Riki's dick in his mouth. The reality overwhelmed him so hard he came instantly.  
“Well,” Iason smirked, wiping the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief. Fucking silk handkerchief. “That was fast.”  
Riki chuckled.  
“Fuck you, Iason.”  
The Blondie raised his brow.  
“You think you are up to that task?” 

***

Without any warning, any sort of preparation, Iason impaled himself on Riki's cock with one fast movement. Riki made a sound as if the air was pushed out of his lungs. He stopped complaining.  
Iason was a voyeur. He was, of course, socialised to enjoy watching rather than doing, but his voyeurism went deeper than that. He preferred giving than taking; he enjoyed the pleasure he gave more than the pleasure he felt. That's why he never enjoyed masturbation. And never was too fond of being given a blow job. He was like a mirror, not able to produce a sensation on its own.He was reflecting, reinforcing what he saw, the pleasure he felt was his partner's.  
Right now, he felt Riki's penis brushing against his prostate, he felt the pleasure, physical, but it was on the surface. Skin-deep, shallow. The true reason he enjoyed this position was the effect it had on Riki..  
And Riki was delirious. Iason needed Riki to be delirious. He needed to feel waves of heat radiating from the mongrel. He put his hands on Riki's sides, around his ribcage, and felt Riki's pulse. He felt Riki's body pulsing, hell, he felt Riki's pulse in the mongrel's penis, filling him from the inside, and Iason's body tried to adjust, he felt his heart searching for the same rhythm, which was far too fast for the Blondie, as Iason's metabolism was generally slower. It seemed the rushing blood covered his eyes, even though he knew it was impossible. And now he was delirious too. No known stimulant could get Iason so high.  
Iason came few seconds after Riki, his sperm hit the pillow right next to Riki's head.  
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Riki murmured, breathing heavily. Iason knew he had this annoying smile of self-contentment on his face, but couldn't do anything about it.  
“ _Hands_ ,” Riki hissed.  
Iason uncuffed the mongrel and moved aside the very same moment Riki sit up on the bed, hissing with pain as the clamps on his nipples swayed. Then, they engaged in some sort of ridiculous choreography as Iason reached his right hand from behind, to remove the first clamp, and Riki used his right hand to grab the phone. He managed to pick the number before their arms tangled; Riki moved the phone to his left hand above his head, just to collide with Iason's other arm, as the Blondie reached for the left clip. Finally free, the mongrel got up and went towards the counter bar, still waiting for Katze to pick up. He used his free hand to pour himself a glass of whiskey. Iason got up and went to the bathroom, wondering if he should remind Riki about the plug Riki still had in his asshole.  
Having a quick shower taken, Iason returned to the room, finding Riki with an empty glass, his eyes filled with rage.  
“They are both deadly drunk, Cal and Hope ,” the mongrel informed him. “For some reason, they preferred to call Katze than me when they realised its hard to walk while vomiting.”  
“Self-perservance instinct,” Iason commented.  
“Very funny. Katze found Cal vomiting into a garbage bin...”  
“That's considerate,” Iason mused. Yes, Cal had a very high level of aesthetic and neatness internalised. Shame he was to leave.  
“... and Hope groping with some older guy. I'm so gonna kill them.  
Iason left the statement alone, returning to bed.  
“D'ya know they weren't here?” Riki asked.  
“Cal asked me for permission to leave.”  
“And nobody thought about checking with me?”  
Iason shrugged.  
“Technically, he is mine, not yours.”  
“Yeah, and Hope is my daughter.”  
“Yes. So I've assumed she'd told you.”  
“You are not bothered by the fact that your furniture is getting a fourteen year old child drunk?”  
Iason shook his head in disbelivement.  
“ _Who_ is getting _who_ drunk?” he asked, irronically. But Riki was not in the mood for jokes.  
“She is fourteen. You could at least pretend you care a bit.” Riki rolled his eyes and pour himself another drink.  
“I don't do pretending,” Iason sighed. “And I'm not good at crying over spilled milk. They are safe now and nothing bad happened. We have to analyze what to do to prevent this situation from happening in the future. Which we will. When they are sober. And you are calm.”  
“What's to analyze here? She's a minor and Cal took her out without as much as telling me. And you are not even bothered!” Riki's voice became louder.  
“If I let myself be bothered by all the inappropriate things my mongrels do, I'd have much more than one grey hair.”  
“Fuck you.”  
“Besides, what you want me to do, have him flogged?”  
Riki considered it for a moment. He finished second glass.  
“Not a bad idea.”  
Iason picked up the sperm-stained pillow and tossed it on the floor. One of little habits he picked up from Riki. There were three more pillows somewhere in the bed anyway.  
“Come to bed,” he said, laying down. And unexpectedly, Riki did. Just after he poured himself a third glass. “Cal gives no shit about me reprimanding him right now,” Iason continued. When Riki sat on the bed, Iason moved closer to him, his hand encircling mongrel's hips.  
“I wouldn't say that...” Riki tried to say something but Iason kept on talking.  
“… you know why? Because he knows you and Hope love him like a brother and because of that I could never harm him. The only reason he behaves and even do some useful job around this house is because he happens to have some decency.”  
“I wouln't call it decent to buy alcohool to the minor.”  
“He defied you, not me. Besides, I've advised you not to befriend with him. I've told you it would end up like this.”  
“Twelve years ago,” Riki rolled his eyes, still irritated. “Twelve years ago you told me not to befriend with Cal in anticipation of this very situation?”  
“Yes. You've set a standard he is following. For almost twenty years I've known you, you've managed to ignore every limit I've set, break every rule and not give so called shit about any order given. And suddenly you want me to react when your friend is following your example? I refuse to play a 'good cop/bad cop' thing here.”  
Riki sighed, his rage obviously fading. He was silent for a moment.  
“I wish you stopped doing that,” he said eventually.  
“What, exactly?”  
“Y'know... being... right all the time."  
Iason kissed his thigh.  
“The hangover will be punishment enough,” he murmured, searching for the right position on the pillow. He wondered if he should remind Riki about the buttplug.  
Riki finished his third glass.  
“So. The hair was grey."  
“Goodnight, Riki.” Iason stated and closed his eyes.

***

The next day, Riki get up early enough to even meet Iason in the hallway.  
“Who would have known,” Iason mocked him. “You are capable of getting up at seven a.m.”  
“Don't start with me today,” the mongrel murmured, obviously irritated.  
“Nothing could be further from my mind,” Iason smiled, taking Riki by his chin to kiss him. “Do you want my advice?”  
Riki was not sure of that, but, hell, why not.  
“Yes.”  
“This is serious, my darling, but not because of the reasons you think it is. The way you'll treat Cal today will define your relation for years. Fifteen years ago I bought him to serve you. You did not want the servant but I gave you one anyway. In few months Cal will be freed but you know it does not change much. It's just a paper. He has no economical backup and no social one, except for what we decide to give him. He'll need our support. We, or more precicely, you, will define his real status. Today you will face him either as his friend or as his superior, and _believe me_ , it will change a lot."  
Riki sighed. He turned his head and looked away.  
“I'm not sure I want to see him today at all.”  
“A decision good as any,” Iason grabbed his chin again and kissed him deeper this time. “Now, go fetch your girl.” 

***

Equality is a myth. Or rather, it's a theoretical concept created by utopists. People are not equal because they are not the same. Every entitle has different skills and abilities, therefore every entitle has different duties and functions. With bigger abilities goes bigger responsibility, and bigger responsibility goes with bigger privileges. There's nothing unfair in that. The idea "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" proved to lead to simple injustice. Iason, for example, was responsible literally for the whole planet, and he considered it absolutely natural that while he takes care of the safe of Tanagura, others would at least take care of his comfort.  
“It would made more sense, you know, if that others actually benefited from what you are doing. Safety and good economy are for citizens. A furniture that massages Blondie's feet after a hard day is a mongrel. All a mongrel gets from good economy is a well-supplied dumpster he can dig in.”  
“And that's what needs to change.”  
It was late afternoon, spring, and they had the windows opened to enjoy warm air that finally came after the Winter. Riki was leaning against the head of enormous bed, his legs in jeasns, spreaded widely, his feet bare. Between his legs Iason was laying, on his back, his head on Riki's torso, his fingers tracing circles on Riki's knee.  
Arystotle, one of biggest philosophers of humanity, was against democracy. His master, Plato, despised it. People in their mass are far too stupid to choose wisely, history proved it more than once. People are generally ready to vote for those who promised more, not those who are wiser governors. Modern earthian democracy proved to lead to major economic breakdown. As usually in this kind of situations, army took the power.”  
“What happened next?”  
“We don't know. The ship with the colonists left the planet and we lost contact. We are too far to communicate. A signal would go 396 years one way.”  
“So Earth may even not exist anymore and we wouldn't know it?”  
“I'm afraid so.”  
Riki was playing with Iason's hair. He wasn't sure but it seemed to him it got a bit darker since Iason had it cut. Riki remembered it as much brighter before. Now they reminded the color of the sun at this time of the day.  
“Ok,” the mongrel said, ”no democracy. Not at all. So what?”  
“The best form of government according to Arystotle is politeia.”  
“Never heard of it.”  
“Because it never had been tried. What we had here was planned as an arystocracy, according to it's ancient definition, but ended up as an oligarchy, much to Arystotle's prognosis.”  
“I though we are talking about an ancient philosopher.”  
“We do,” Iason smiled. “But he managed to classify forms of government quite accurately. I'm not aware of any form of government that would ever exist in reality and hadn't be in his system. And he described not only the way they could work but also the reasons why they would eventually fall. Politeia means 'the government of the best', while democracy means literally 'the government of the people'. You get the slight difference.”  
“You'd like to put it into working here?”  
“As I said,” Iason smiled. “It had never been tried. Funny. Somehow people never even had the balls to publicly discuss the concept of replacing democracy with politeia, even though Arystotle's thinking sank into the very soul of humanity either in theology, methaphisics, ethics or political sciences. I don't understand why people were willing to deceive themselves in the name of misunderstood conception of egalitarianism, even after the spectacular fall of communism.”  
“Iason...,” Riki kissed the top of his head, the only place he could actually reach with his mouth right now. “You've lost me around the 'balls'.”  
The Blondie laughed.  
“We'll have lots of things to try. But for now I'd like you to just make sure your mongrels are not going to kill each other while waiting for something to do. I would really like to start this project as soon as possible, but I'll be out of order for a few weeks. Raoul says he'd enough of storaging my legs in the fridge.  
Riki laughed.  
“I start to really like this guy.”  
“Yes, he has his own special way of putting things.” 

***

Iason didn't have his transplantation back then. He was busy with other things. With one other thing, to be precise. A thing called Jupiter. The AI had agreed reluctantly to the idea of saving mongrels in the Winter, but demanded things went back as they were in spring. Iason argued. He had twenty thousand of people inside the city, he had them at his mercy and he had their trust. This kind of opportunity wouldn't repeat during his lifetime. He decided they were to stay. The next day Raoul told him his mindcleaning was scheduled for six hours later. Iason wasn't surprised. He demanded to see Katze.

***

“You planned it all from the beginning, didn't you?”  
Katze was sitting in the armchair in Iason's office. He was pale, far too thin, but his eyes regained their spark.  
“I hardly control the seasons, Katze.”  
“You know what I mean. This is why you haven't kill me then.”  
“I haven't had you killed because you astonished me. The moment I saw that code on the screen I've remembered it. I didn't need you anymore. I know it by heart even now. I'm sure you do too.”  
“It's not something you'd forget.”  
“This was your doing,” Iason's voice was deadly serious, but gentle in the same time,,” so it should be your privilege. You can do it yourself if you want. But I can do it for you. Katze looked at him surprised. Iason continued. “I know the code and this is my battle. The risk is enormous. If we fail you get killed, this time for sure. There's no need for you to die for my sins.”  
“Iason,” Katze smiled and shook his head. “I've dreamed about this day for the last twelve years.”  
“I'm sorry to interrupt this sweet tete-a-tete,” Raoul joined, “but Jupiter controlls every computer system in the city, including hospitals, elavators and traffic lights.” He was leaning against the wall, hands crossed at his chest, visibly worried. “How do you plan to shut her down without jeopadising the whole city and probably killing few thousand people?”  
Iason smiled at him.  
“You tell him?” he asked Katze, who had drifted away in his thoughts for a moment.  
“What? Oh, right,” he turned his face to Raoul. “All of these systems can work independently, they just need to be inducted. Three years ago I designed the software that should be able to do that."  
Raoul raised his brow and pierced Katze with his gaze. Three years ago. This furniture designed special kind of software in anticipation of killing Jupiter. Great. Just great.  
Seeing Raoul's surprisement, Katze shrugged.  
“When Iason refused to give Riki up... It was sort of obvious we would come to this point, sooner or later.”  
Iason sent Raoul an evil smile.  
“I've told you he's awesome.”  
Raoul shook his head.  
“No, Iason, you certainly haven't used that peculiar word ever before, not in my presence. But I get the idea. Now, we have four hours. I suggest we go.”  
"You two go. Katze, pick up everything you need. I'll meet you in front of Jupiiter Tower in thirty minutes."  
"Time is your enemy, Iason," Raoul reprimended him.  
"I need to deal with Riki."  


***

During the last few weeks Iason and Riki established some sort of a convenient routine; Riki was spending his days on coordinating all the jobs that needed to be done in temporary shelters for mongrels. Most of the job was concentrated on making them, well,   _less temporary_. Iason was busy since dusk till midnight six days a week, so, when there was something to discuss, they met at lunch. Usually they ate in Iason's office, as they could be alone there and the place was checked for wiretap twice a day. Riki was comfortable with that new habit; he felt he was being treated seriously. And he loved the face of the secretary every time he passed through the hall.  
So, when the Blondie had send him a text to meet him there, Riki didn't expect it to be anything extraordinary.  
“Whats up?” Riki asked, entering Iason's office.  
This time, Iason was waiting for him sitting at the edge of the desk. The moment the mongrel closed the doors, he said:  
“I need you to leave the city.” He was not beating around the bush.  
“What?!”  
The Blondie got up and walked around the desk. He took a small black box from the cupboard. As Riki walked forward, the Blondie handed it to him.  
“Cash,” he said. “Just in case. I need you to go behind the borders. Where the surveillance system won't be able to track you. Here...,” Iason moved his hand to catch Riki's ear, more precisely, an earring which was his pet ring right now. Riki was not too happy to wear it, but he understood well enough that it was more convenient to have one if he was constantly moving between Ceres and Eos. Riki backed away.  
“Tell me what's going on,” he demanded, “or I'm not going anywhere.”  
He was surprised and slightly uneasy, but not scared yet. Maybe a bit irritated about being patronized. The fact that Iason had the habit of making all decisions for Riki was the main reason why Iason didn't get laid. But Riki was determinated to wait until the bastard figured it out by himself.  
Iason moved closer.  
“I'm going to shut down Jupiter.”  
“What?!”  
Now, Riki was scared.  
“I have to. You know why.” He kissed Riki's cheek, “It's either her or me at this point. It won't take long. A few hours, at most. There's a phone in the bag, a phone you'll reach Raoul with. In six hours, he'll call you and tell you if it safe to come back.”  
Riki shook his head, trying to comprehend the information. He had a dozen questions - how, why, why now, what if they fail... bewildered, he eventually asked:  
“Why Raoul?”  
“Because if we fail, Katze will be dead and I'll be brainwashed.”  
“Iason, I'm not fucking going anywhere, You can't just, you won't....” He was about to star a serious tirade, but he lacked the words. Iason stopped him with one word. The one he very rarely used.  
“Please,” Iason took Riki's chin in both hands. “I'm not afraid of dying. I'm not afraid of loosing myself, which is very similar to dying in many ways. But the thought I could harm you afterwords... paralyzes me. I won't act rationally with you around. I need you away. Please.”  
Riki was so angry. Too angry to protest, to say anything. His jaw clenched so hard his teeth hurt. The mongrel was silent for a long moment. He shook his head.  
“Just because you ask me to... I'll go. And for the record, I don't like it in the slightest.”  
Iason looked relieved.  
“Thank you.”  
Then, the Blondie removed Riki's earring and handed it to him.  
“Keep it in your pocket. Might be useful on your return. If things get nasty, just throw it away.”  
Riki took the earing but didn't move. He was standing there, paralized, until Iason urged him.  
“Go."  
  
Riki was furious. Deadly, fucking furious. Iason knew, he must have known, earlier, he was prepared. The phone he gave Riki was a satelite phone, working outside the borders. No normal cellphone would work that far from the city. And the cash... Iason does not use cash. He was prepared, and he didn't warn Riki till the last moment, when it was too late to do anything, to say anything...  
For the last few months Riki was toying with Iason, punishing him, refusing to give the straight answer whether he wanted to stay with the Blondie or not. Months ago, Iason had told Riki he could leave if he wanted too, and that offer was never withdrawn. So Riki was playing with the idea of leaving. Playing with Iason. Refusing to admit his feelings, refusing to have sex with him, refusing to forgive him... Just to make the motherfucker suffer. If Riki knew they might not have much more time...  
Fucker.  


Industrial colonies and mines scattered on the continent were connected with Tanagura by highways, going through the very desert. The surveillance system, of course, covered the highways, but it was enough to turn anywhere into the desert to become invisible. No point of going the harsh way now. For now, Riki just drove straight ahead, at full speed, feeling tears in his eyes and knowing its not because of the wind.

***

It was almost insultingly simple. They were going to perform a sort of assassination on the entitle that was present in every surveillance camera and controlled even bathroom doors. And they did it by entering through the main hallway. They headed for the private office Iason sometimes used to regenerate after audiences with Jupiter. It took Katze forty minutes to connect with the main core. He assumed he would be detected in four to six minutes.  
Iason entered Jupiter chamber. The audience was not planned, but him coming without appointment wasn't anything unusual. Jupiter gathered the data about the whole planet and analyzed them in nanoseconds. Connecting to her was the quickest method of finding answers to any issue Iason was at any given moment pursuing. Convenient. But well, Iason would have to learn to live without it.  
The AI dropped her guards to reach out to Iason's mind. Normally, it took her three seconds to do so. But Iason assumed he would be able to block her for another two. He did. Katze had five seconds to type ten numbers of code. He did i in four.  
The code created a loop. Jupiter stuck in the function she was currently pursuing, namely, reaching out to Iason's mind. Like a crashed computer game, she repeated the same procedure over and over. Her guards still down.  
Iason sent them a signal through his phone.  
“Continue,” Raoul said to Katze. The mongrel used his laptop to induce the software that would simulate Jupiter's control over hospitals, banks, transport stations and other systems in the city. Then, he started deleting Jupiter from the main core. An hour and half later, she was gone.  
Strangely, Raoul though, the world was still there.  
“Its over,” Katze said, standing up from the terminal. And Raoul noticed how pale he was.  
“Yes.”  
“I...”  
“Sit back down!” Raoul insisted, but it was too late. Katze swayed and throw up at the panel before passing out. Raoul managed to amortize his fall just enough to spare him hitting his head, but his knees still would be bruised. The Blondie stood up, wondering what to do next, when he heard Iason approaching.  
“My, my,” Iason mused, entering the room.  
“I've warned you. He's just a mongrel. He has limits.”  
“He volunteered,” Iason shrugged.  
“So what we do now?”  
“I'll re-check the systems. Look for some leftovers of hers. You take care of him.”  
“ME? He is yours.”  
“You are a medicine man.”  
“My medicine studies didn't include cleaning vomits.”  
“Medicine is closer to human fluids than business matters.”  
“Oh really? Do I remember the afterparty after the Commonwealth ambassador visit correctly?”  
For a moment they looked at each other seriously, a battle of will between them obvious, and then, simultaneously, they laughed.  
“Thank God he is unconscious,” Iason sighed, looking at Katze. Raoul rolled his eyes.  
“I'll go get Riki and you take care of him. Make sure he won't choke. You DO want Riki back as soon as possible, don't you?”  
Iason looked at him dangerously.  
“You are playing dirty, Raoul.”  
“I had a good teacher.”  


***

 _I'm coming to pick you up. You can come back_ ; Raoul did't say anything more but Riki didn't expect him to. He was waiting for Riki at the parking space just outside the gates. He opened the trunk and gestured toward it, indicating Riki was to put his hoverbike in there.  
“So it worked,” Riki said quietly, looking at the road in front of him. “Just like that?”  
“Just like that.”  
“They are okay?”  
“Katze had kind of seizure. He vomited out of stress. Iason is fine. They are going to spend next MONTHS on ensuring and updating the systems that are to replace Jupiter. But they are fine.” Raoul paused for a long moment. "You know why he had to do it, don't you?”  
Iason might try to convince Riki it was because of the 'mongrel reform', as people start to call it. But it was just the last straw that breaks the camel's back. Riki knew he was the first and biggest issue here.  
“Yeah.”  
Raoul took a deep breath.  
“I don't really know you, Riki. But I hope you are worth it.”  
They reached Iason's place in silence, broke only once again, by Raoul.  
“Nobody must know. Don't even approach the topic when any servant is in the house.”  
“You mean the dead bitch or the fact that Katze nearly shit his pants?”  
Raoul was obviously fascinated.  
“Both, since you mention it. He probably won't remember it anyway.”  
“Right.”  


Iason came to the hallway to welcome them and Riki just melted into him. Not embraced, not hugged, but melted, arms around Blondie's chest, his face disappeared in the folds of his jacked. Iason hushed him, kissing the top of his head.  
“Could you take care of Katze, please? He is in the guest bedroom on the right. I have things to discuss with Raoul.”  
“Yeah.”  


Katze was asleep and at that moment Riki couldn't think up anything better to do than to lay down next to him. He was exhausted, mentally if not physically. He fell asleep, he didn't know for how long. He was woken up by Katze's movements.  
“Shit,” the dealer said, rubbing his forehead.  
“Yeah. Shit,” Riki laughed bitterly. They both sat up on the bed.  
“Are we...“ Katze was looking for the right word. “Alive?"  
Riki laughed.  
“Seems so. Funny, I'd imagined this day, I guess everybody does, one way or the other, but it always looked somewhat... Like an armegeddon, generally."  
Katze looked around the rook as if looking for something that's changed.  
  
“The lift was kind of jumpy, wonder if that had something to do with it." It was a stupid, irrelevant comment, but Riki was uncomfortable with the silence.  
“I threw up?” Katze asked.  
“Raoul said you wouldn't remember.”  
“I don't. I fucking feel it in my mouth.”  
Riki got up and reached for a water bottle from the bedside cabinet. He handed it to Katze.  
“I'll get you some glass to split,” he said, going to the bathroom.  
“Shit,” Katze repeated, massaging his neck.  
“Don't worry,” Riki said, returning from the bathroom with a glass in his hand. "It couldn't be as bad as me throwing up at Gideon."  
The dealer chuckled.  
“Nothing can beat that up. You are a legend, bro.”  
Yes, he was.

 

***

Temporary shelters for mongrels were located in Midas, so they were, theoretically, under Gideon's jurisdiction. The Blondie had delegated some Ruby elites (very displeased by the fact) to oversee the whole action. Just after the evacuation of Ceres was complete, Riki was asked to give a report to one of them, but Gideon, for his own reasons, wanted to see the mongrel himself. Riki wasn't sure the evacuation was complete. He demanded another route, so he was late for the meeting. The elite met him just after Riki came back - coming through the gates with a cat under his arm (not only people needed rescue). He was still in heavy duty shoes that had so much snow in the cracks of their soles Riki was making a puddle everywhere where he stood. His hair was wet with sweat, but he didn't feel it; he though it was snow. The skin on his cheeks was burning from fever but he though it was because of the sudden transition from cold to warm environment. His body felt heavier than normal, but his shoes weigh a pound, not to mention overall and jacket.  
“Are you all right?" Gideon asked.  
Riki was confused. Blondies, other than Iason anyway, shouldn't ask him that. Something was wrong with the reality.  
“Of course, cause what?”  
“Sit down,” Gideon demanded.  
There was no chair around, besides, what was that guy's problem?  
“...don' hafta.”  
Suddenly, he realized, there was just a slightest sign of urgency at the Blondie's face.  
“Sit. Down.” He insisted in this blondish way that usually made Riki do exactly the opposite.  
“Or fuckin wha...,” he tried to ask and remembered nothing after.  
He had dangerously high fever, he was dehydrated, and he vomited out of depletion. Of course Tanagura medics was able to put him back on his feet in two days. Iason was very amused by the idea of his mongrel throwing up at his fellow-blondie. Riki reached the point of critical exhaustion by following his master's orders. Iason peers didn't need to know that Riki chose to take that task on his own accord. For the outside observer, it was a proof of dedication and commitment, not to the cause, but to Iason. That was good. And since it was quite spectacular, the story become anecdotal. Perfect.  
“For once I've helped your reputation,” Riki smirked sarcastically. Iason was sitting on the edge of mongrel's bed, stroking his hand.“Next time try to do it without the intervention of medical emergency unit.”  
“Oww don't grumble,” Riki chuckled, some eyes rolling involved. "You are pleased, admit it.”  
“I'm amused,” Iason corrected him.  
“That's the same.”  
“I'm not pleased. Your health was in danger. that doesn't please me. But the circumstances... are amusing.”  
“Whatever.”  
“You know how this work?” Iason pointed at the drip that was hanged above Riki's bed. "You'll fall asleep for at least 18 hours.”  
“Yeah.”  
When he wakes up, he should be healthly.  
“Ready?” Iason asked, holding the drip valve.  
“Yes,” Riki smiled at him and winked. Iason released the drip. “'Night,” Riki said.  
He managed to rub the frostbites at his cheek before he drifted away. They were some on his ears, too. They should heal up soon. Riki didn't seem bothered by them; on the contrary, he wore them proudly, like combat scars.

_His beautiful warrior._

How stupid Iason must have been to try to change a wolf into a lapdog? Waste of a perfectly good wolf. And not much of a lapdog anyway.  
As Riki fell asleep, Iason got up and left the room. He had another warrior to deal with.

 

***

Years of depression make a man numb. Being numb, paradoxically, saved Guy. He just didn't care for anything anymore. He didn't care enough to even kill himself.  
The Winter - the Winter would have killed him for sure. Luke, Norris and Sid took care of him as well as they could, but Ceres was a hard place to live, they had their own problems. He would probably died from carbon monoxide poisoning, sooner or later, because the heating system was congested and Guy just didn't feel like repairing it every second day. Dying in sleep, sounded alluring.  
And then, Riki came, together with some young fellow, what was his name. But he didn't come to either accuse or apologize. He came with a job to do. The Bison were not entirely happy about working for Iason, but, a chance to move thousands of people out of Ceres, to save their lives - its not something you ignore due to personal pride.  
And so, Guy learned that not only being numb cures depression. Being deadly tired does exactly the same. Physical exhaustion relieves the mind, and the heavier your body feels, the lighter is your soul. And when you actually fight for survival, you tend to forget about being angry and sad. Funny.  
Guy, of course, reminded himself about being angry and sad the day the evacuation was officially completed. That day, Riki collapsed, people said he nearly died, what was probably an exaggeration. But it reminded Guy about the _issues_ still unsolved. Apparently, he wasn't the one that remembered about the issues. About 12 hours later, that fellow, what was his name, came, and announced Iason wanted to see Guy. And Guy wouldn't refuse. He, actually, welcomed the idea of looking at Iason's face again. Split at it, if he happened to get close enough.

And so, he's been standing in what probably was Iason's home office for 40 minutes, accompanied by the blond kid that brought him there.  
“You don't talk much, do you?" Guy asked and the boy smiled.  
“Not on duty."  
“Whatever."  
Iason came eventually. He walked through the room without the word and sat behind the desk.  
“Leave us, Daryl," he said and the boy left.  
“Sit," he said to Guy.  
“I'll stand."  
“Whatever you prefer." Iason picked up a tablet from his desk and gestured Guy to take it. The mongrel hesitateted for a moment before taking the device and instinctively lightening the screen with his finger. The data obviously referred to evacuated mongrels, 12 000 people, 8500 of them male. He didn't manage to read the rest, as Iason started speaking.  
“You did an exceptionally good job there, the four of you. As well as the others. But you are probably smart enough to realize this is a beginning. Such a big mass of people crowded in hardly habitable buildings, without perspectives and without anything to do, is a time bomb. Their energy needs to be canalized. I need a census, I need to know age and abilities of every of them. And then, put everyone in the places they could be useful. I need them to start building a place for themselves. Communication, catering, supplies. I'm making Riki responsible for putting the right people into right places. If its go well, then, perhaps, they'll stay. For good, I mean. I'll let them work inside, legally."  
Guy had to remind himself why he hated this man. His eyes wandered around the room, searching for the answer bold enough to hide the fact that he was impressed.  
“Mongrels. Working legally." He stated, not really believing.  
“Can't see why not," Iason shrugged.  
“Me neither. What leaves us with the question why you didn't do anything about it for all those previous years."  
Instead of answering, Iason pointed at the tablet Guy was holding  
“That's a contract of employment, Guy. Think it through. Riki won't be able to do it by himself."  
Guy had to laugh.  
“You want mne to work with Riki?"  
“I like to keep my enemies close"  
“I'm flattered."  
“You should be," he said getting up. “Daryl will take you home" he said while walking towards the door. “You start day after tomorrow."  
Guy would have asked what made Iason sure the offer was accepted, but the Blondie was no longer in the room.

 

***

Relations between Guy and Riki were difficult. Obviously. They were awkward for another two years, during which they tried, pretty much in vain, to behave as if nothing had happened, as if they could be friends. They ceased to be awkward when they drifted away from each other, both of them busy with their own lives, quite relieved that they didn't have to face each other every day. And then, they befriended again, years later. Time, they say, heals everything, and the memories of Dana Bahn, as well as the memories of their relationship became something like a movie about somebody else. They became able to think about it without pain, to joke. The same time had made them slightly different people, and they could grow a new friendship, from the scratch with the notion that it was something else, something good, not a consolation after something they had lost.  


 

“I'll be late," Riki called Guy rom the car. "In fact, I think I won't be there at all. Tell Kristof I'm playing truant today".  
Guy yawned to his phone.  
“Hmmph. May I ask... Why the hell?"  
“I'm busy murdering my offspring."  
“Right" Guy yawned again, not really surprised. “It's not about the amph, is it?"  
“No, I mean, I don't think so. She's at Katze's now, she partied too hard last night."  
“Oh? Well." His voice proved he was still half asleep.  
“Wake up, geez, its eight o'clock."  
“Gonna kill you. Bye."


	4. Some harsh mornings

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not as good as i wished it to be. Really, it was enough to spend a year without going to any english-speaking country and my English is fucking dead already! **Native beta needed!** I'm an academic writer and I'm three months behind the schedule in my work, so don't hope for any updates untill January. Good thing is, I would be forced to use some English in my research so I hope it would get better by then. In the meantime I'll try to correct mistakes in already published chapters So, see you then.

That evening, after they'd killed Jupiter, Riki refused to let Iason out of his sight. As if the Blondie could suddenly dissappear, as if the world could collapse in one moment, he followed the Blondie everywhere and finally fell asleep at the sofa in Iason's office. Katze and Raoul have been gone for some time, as Iason insisted Katze got some sleep and Raoul took on himself the duty of distracting other Elites from Iason's absence. It was 3 a.m. when Iason finished re-checking the systems and looked at sleeping Riki, wondering what he was supposed to do with him right now. The sofa was too short to sleep on it the whole night.  
Riki woke up briefly when Iason was picking him up, the gesture the mongrel normally detested, but apparently decided to make an exception. He put his arms around Blondie's neck.  
"Don't leave me alone," he murmured. His forehead rested on Iason's arm. He woke up again when he felt bed beneth him, and, a moment later, as Iason was getting off his shoes and pants. He turned around, laying on his belly, embraced a pillow and murmured goodnights.  
Iason, not thinking too much, took Riki's pants to the bathroom and threw them to the laundry chute together with his own clothes (except for the jacked, which needed separate treatment). He rinsed his mount and decided the rest of his hygienic procedures would wait until tomorrow.  
He laid down next to Riki, his arm loosely embraced boy's waist, and fell into light, restless sleep, just to be woken up no more than three hours later by an unfamiliar alarm sound from his smartphone. Riki jumped up, fully awake in less than a second.  
'What-?" He asked as Iason reached for the phone and looked at its screen, face totally blank.  
'Your pet ring has just informed me you've drowned," he said in resigned voice, much to Riki's disorientation.  
'Wha - "  
"You put it in the pocked of your pants, didn't you?" Iason asked, slightly angry that he hadn't though about it earlier.  
"Put what?" Riki aparently, wasn't as conscious as he seemed to be at the first sight.  
"Nevermind." Iason put the phone away and kiss Riki's head. "That's nothing. Sleep." Not too gently, he pressed Riki's head back down, on his own chest. For a moment, Riki's fingers clenched at Iason's arm, before they become limp again. Few second later, Riki was fast asleep, his head moving slightly in the rythm of Iason's breathing.  
The smell of Riki's hair reached Blondie's nostrils and he remembered how much he missed phisical contact with the boy. Judging by the fact how Riki cuddled up to im today, the feeling was mutual. But Iason knew better than to hurry things up. His left hand played with Riki's hair, the right one rested on mongrels's hip. The rising sun started peeking through the curtains and the sky rapidly changed its color from deep blue to azure. There was a new dawn over Tanagura. Pulling Riki closer, Iason allowed himself a wide smirk.  
  
When Riki woke up, he was alone. He was actually, woken up, by Pete, the furniture that was responsible for keeping Iason's bedroom clean. He was the only person in the household allowed to enter there when Iason was gone. Well, now there were two.  
Riki sat up, trying to remember what he was doing there. He was still wearing a T-shirt and underwear, which meant they hadn't had sex. There was no way Riki would put something on after sex with Iason. After sex with Iason he was too tired to breathe.  
Then he remembered. He didn't want to sleep alone. Because he was afraid something bad would happen. Like, the angry mob consisted of Elites would somehow find out what they did and decided to kill them, or something. And what was that? What did they do? Oh yes. They killed Jupiter.  
Great.  
"Where is my fucking phone?" he murmured, suddenly feeling the urge of being in contact with Iason and Katze.  
"I wouldn't know sir," Pete answered, even though Riki wasn't really addressing him. Pete was quite surpirsed to see him there, obviously tried to hide that, with not much success. He was probably wondering, quite fairly, if Riki's presence in this bedroom would become permanent and if it would mean more work to him. If Riki was less stressed at the moment, he would smile and chat with the boy to ease some tention. Instead, he just got up and, with his trademark sullen face, left the room. Funny, how stressfull situations put man back on old tracks. All Riki's efforts to became more, well, _social_ , just ceased to have any effect.

 

***

 

"Up here," Katze shouted, as Riki entered his loft. Riki went upstairs. Since Katze lived - and intended to always live - alone, he'd removed the wall separating bedroom from kitchen, as well as the ones that formed a hall. Right now, Riki was looking at the enormous space with messy bed at the one side, clothes and other items scattered in the middle, and Katze standing next to the cooker at the other. The dealer, wearing only slack pants, was boiling milk.  
Riki though he wouldn't be able to sleep in such an enormous space. He would feel as if he were in a railway hall. Even Iason's bedroom was smaller, and somehow more cosy. Katze must have become claustrofobic after living in a six-square meters furniture quarter.  
"Where were you anyway? I called you five times this morning," Katze asked, with a hint of irritation. He didn't look at Riki, busy with adding cocoa to the milk.  
"I left the fucking phone in the guest room you slept in yesterday, together with my jacket. I was looking for it like for an hour. I keep loosing things in that appartment. I really need to do something about it if I'm supposed to live there."  
"Supposed to? Haven't you been living there for four years?"  
"Off and on" Riki corrected him. He took of his jacket and sat on the edge of the table. "I didn't really think like I was living there, you know, before. I was imprisoned there. That's a difference."  
Katze rolled his eyes with a patronising smirk, but he allowed Riki to speak.  
"Is that so?"  
"I'm actually using tha place, not only sitting in one room. And its so fucking big I can never find anything. My tooth brushses are in three bathrooms already." And that was just the begining.  
"So you decided to stay? For good?"  
"I don't think 'decision' is the right word, man. I mean, how do you imagine, me right now leaving Iason and live the life of an ordinary mongrel, knowing what I know and doing what I do? I guess Jupiter's death sealed it. He really can't let me go."  
"Don't mention her."  
As the cocoa dissolved, Katze reached for grated ginger.  
"Why?" Riki asked.  
"You never know who might be listening."  
"In your kitchen?" Riki asked with an ironic smile.  
Katze winked.  
"Daryl happens to stay over quite often."  
"Yeah, like you wouldn't told me."  
"I don't mean this exact moment, Riki, I just want you to develop a habit. A habit of no-mentioning her. Use euphemism if you have to."  
"Use what?"  
"Nevermind."  
"Have you slept at all?"  
"Not really. I have developed a compulsion of checking the software every five minutes."  
"We are six minutes here already," Riki noticed with a smirk. Katze smirked back, gesturing toward a flat screen behind Riki's back. The screen was obviously connected with computer and constantly showed rows of digits. Riki had to laugh. Only Katze was able of putting a screen on the fridge door. Normally it would be placed on the wall, but there were very few walls around.  
"You scare me, man."  
"Drink your cocoa."  
"I would much prefer coffee." Not that cocoa wih gigger wasn't surplisingly good. But Riki needed coffeine.  
"Be my fucking guest." Katze gestured toward the coffee express. "I'm going to sleep. And you, my dear friend, will stare on the screen for me."

***

Katze opened the door waring only slack pants, a coffee mug in one hand and a cigarette in his mouth.  
“I've made you some coffee", he said, instead of 'hi'. Not waiting for Riki to reply, he turned around and walked towards the kitchen.  
“My blood pressure is high enough," Riki said, following.  
“Chill out, man. have some breakfast."  
“How are they?"  
"Fine. Hope is in the living room and Cal in my office. And my bathroom needs cleaning."  
“Great. Cal can do it"  
Katze laughed.  
“Don't be too harsh on them. Have some coffee. Sit, relax. tell me how's the work."  
“Seriously?!" Riki rolled his eyes. “Fine, I'll tell you how is the work. Yesterday I met the kid who refused to take traineeship because he believed it would be the betrayal of the Revolution. Dozens of generations, he said, suffered in a silent fight against the establishment, and he won't betray them by taking any handout. Something like that. Can you believe it?"  
Katze laughed.  
“What did you do with him?"  
“I asked him to pinch me. I couldn't believe It's not a dream."  
“Oh well. Times' changed."  
As Riki said nothing, Katze continued.  
“I have something better. Raoul told me there's a new fashion among the young citizens. They doesn't want their babies to be in-vitros. They want natural, not genetically enhanced breeding. Being mongrel seems cool, it seems".  
Riki snorted.  
“Whatever. I mean, its a fad, but not harmful, I suppose?"  
"Can be. Designed babies are immune to most of diseases, more stable mentally, less aggressive..."  
“You mean they manipulate the population genes?"  
"Of course they do. With in-vitro insemination, its almost too easy to choose the zygote with the right genotype, to enhance it to produce more serotonine and call it neurosis prevention. Plus, immunity towards most of disaeases is not hereditary. Tuberculosis, pneumonia, smallpox - citizens are immune, mongrels, are not. Now, mongrels are quite safe due to herd immunity, but if you let them..."  
Riki rolled his eyes.  
"I'm sure it's a fascinating story, buy I'm more interested in my drunken daughter right now. Sorry." Riki got up and went towards the stairs. Katze put his coffee away and followed him.  
Hope looked totally wasted. Her face was something between white and green, her head surrounded by a halo of unkempt hair.  
"Hope."  
She opened one eye.  
"You've come here to kill me?" She asked weakly.  
Riki sighed. He reached out a hand in her direction.  
"Come with me if you want to live."

 

***

 Just when exactly it happened? Where, for the fuck's sake, he'd made a mistake?

"What's wrong with you? What the fuck were you thinking?" Riki really tried not to shout. He was driving them home, Hope curled up at the passanger seat, wrapped in a blanket. She smelled. She smelled with bear, vomits and spirit. Her face turned from green to violet.  
"Don't you dare to throw up in here."  
"I left everything I could at Katze's" she mumbled.  
"Just... _Why?_ What were you thinking? You wanted to get as wasted as one possibly can? That was your purpose?"  
"Don't yell."  
"You haven't see me yelling yet."  
"Whatever. Just. Don't." She opened the window and took a deep breath of fresh air.  
"You are far too young..."  
"Young for what?" She spatted. "You know what people in my age are doing?"  
"I happen to know exactly. And that's what scares me."  
Hope rolled her eyes theatratically.  
"Katze told be he found you grouping with some older guy."  
"Seventeen. That's not old."  
" _Older_ "  
"Whatever"  
"I'm surprise you even remember."  
"Get off me, geez." Hope frown, clearly not understanding where Riki sees a problem.  
They stopped at the traffic light. Riki took a deep breath.  
"Listen, miss. I flatly refuse to become a grandfather before I'm forty."

 

***

 Riki came back home at seven a.m, still slightly drunk. More precisely, he was somewhere between being drunk and hangovered. He felt like a zombie, he smelled like a zombie and he probably looked like a zombie. In the living room, Iason was having breakfast. And there was Hope, sitting on the floor in the corner, playing with dolls and baby dishes.  
"I persume the party was a success," Iason mocked, as Riki sat at the other side of the table.  
"Why's she still'up?"  
"She's up _already_."  
"Oh".  
Cal, who was bustling around the room, gave Hope a bottle of water.  
"Here, give it to your dad, sweetie."  
Hope got up, took a bottle, and rushed toward Riki.  
"Thank you, darling," Riki said weekly, taking the bottle from her.  
"But it's my pleasure, daddy, there is no need to thank me," she said, and then she actually curtsied, leaving Riki speachless. He was so obviously stunned that Cal had to cover his mouth to block the laughter.  
"Don't worry, Riki, I'm sure it's just a phase." Iason stated in flat voice.  
  
GOD, how Riki missed that phase.

 

***

 "You are a hypocrite." They continued the fight as they got home. Liven up, Hope moved from defense to attack  
"Hypocrite?" Riki couldn't believe his ears. "Do you even know what that means?"  
"You drank, you got wasted, you partied, now give me one good reason why I can't," She continued, on the way to her room.  
"If you hate me so much why do you insisnt on following my steps?"  
"If you hate me so much, why didn't you gave me away?"  
" I did consider it, you know."  
The words just fell out of his mouth, before Riki could stop them. Hope become even pale, before she turn around on her feet and rushed inside her room, locking the door behind her.  
"Hope, fuck," Riki followed her, stopped by the door closed just in front of his nose.  
"Hope, god damn it, you need to eat something, you've completly emptied your stomach."  
"Get lost." He heard from the other side.  
"Hope... Shit". Riki got his phone and went toward the kitchen. He called Iason.  
"Darling," Riki was that nice to Iason only when he wanted something.  
"Is Hope alright?" Iason asked curtuasly.  
"Yeah, more or less," Riki answered, as he entered the kitchen. He opened the pot with the chicken soup he ordered his morning. "I need to ask you something. Could you unlock the doors remotely?"  
The whole Eos was one big computer network - Iason told him once and it was true. Iason, if he wanted to, could control remotely even toasters in the kitchen. He would be able to control every door and every light switch; and of course, he could know every detail about what every person inside was doing. If he ever decided to bother himself with that.  
"All the doors?"  
"Preferably... She'll lock herself in bathroom or guest room if she get the chance."  
"You've fucked up, didn't you?"  
"Who taught you that language?"  
"Just give me five minutes." Iason said. One good thing about Iason, he didn't ask too many questions.  
"Thanks."  
Riki put the phone away and poured the soup. After reconsidering, he took another bowl, smaller one, and pour just a little bit of broth into it.  
"Hey," he called the boy who was serving in the kitchen that day. "Take the soup to Hope in, like, ten minutes, okay?" He asked, pointing at the bigger bowl. As the boy nodded, Riki took the smaller bowl and went toward the living area.  
The door automaticaly unlocked just the moment Riki reached the girl's room. He found Hope laying on bed, her face hidden in the pillows.  
"Sweetie, if you just let me explain..."  
"Fuck. Off."  
Riki sighed.  
"Eat. You've thrown up everything, if you don't yeat you'll digest your own stomach," he teased. Hope didn't react. Riki knew she didn't want him to see her face. After a moment of hestitation, he got up and went towards the door.  
  
The bowl of soup flied above his head and crashed against the doorframe.

 

***

 "Do you like our owl?" The woman on the screen asked the man.  
"It's artificial?" He asked in return.  
"Of course it is."  
"Must be expensive."  
"Very."  
Iason stood in the door of Hope's room. The locks was still blocked in the house so she couldn't lock the door.  
"I'm not talking with you!" She shouted, not turning around. She kept her eyes fixed on the screen.  
"I'm Rachael."  
"Deckard."  
Iason heard the characters, even though he himself spoke in the very same moment.  
"I'll do the talking."  
"It seems you feel our work is not a benefit to the public," Rachel said.  
"Replicants are like any other machine; they're either a benefit or a hazard," Deckard managed to say before Hope stopped the movie with a pilot.  
"I though it was Riki."  
"What's this movie about?"  
"It was supposed to be about electric sheep or something. I suppose the description was wrong."  
"How is your hangover?"  
"Hangover? Hangover is just fine. Me, not so much."  
"I'm glad you didn't loose your sense of humour."  
Hope rolled her eyes.  
"You want sumfin? Or you just came to torment me?"  
"Tormenting is what I do. Ask Riki. He used to claim I was tormenting him until he was well in his twenties. So now, I can have a good six to ten years of tormenting you."  
"Lucky you."  
"Why are you mad at him?"  
"D'ya really hafta ask?"  
"Apparently."  
"Geez. For once, I've just found out he sent Jimmy away."  
"That was my decision." It wasn't. But Iason was a good actor.  
"Why?"  
"You know Cal is a castrate?"  
"Of course I know."  
"Full castrate. He pisses as a girl. You know what I mean?"  
Hope rolled her eyes.  
"Yeah. And what?"  
"So is Katze. All of them. For generations, hundrends of men were mutilated. Its a relict of long gone epoque. But people get used to things done in certain ways. They don't like changes, Hope. There is simply no need for healthly boys to be cut just because they are servants, but people keep on deminding it. Right now, they are five not castrated furnitures in Eos, Jim being one of them. As an experiment. A trial period. If it works, maybe, just maybe, if they adapt well, other people would take an example and cease to demand their servants to be permanently mutilated. If there will be a rumour I had Jim romancing with my protege under my nose, that would stop the reform for a decade."  
"You want to say thousands of dicks will owe their existence to me-not-losing-my-virtue-with-Jim."  
"You are your father's daugher," Iason mused, fascinated Hope's turn of fraze.  
"Why, I mean, I don't care, I didn't ask for this responsiblilty."  
"But you bear it. We try to isolate you from the public view, but eyes of the whole city are on you right now. You are first child in Eos. First mongrel child to get education. First child to be brough up in elite's household."  
"So does it mean I can't have life I choose to have? That's not fair."  
"Nobody said it is."  
"I didn't sign up for this!"  
"That's what make this so hard for Riki. He could have, you know, given you different life."  
"What do you mean?"  
"Adoptions are very rare in Tanagura. But I could have arrange it. I did. You would be brough up in a citizen family, perfectly ordinary and normal. Perfectly free from all of this. It was all ready, but... Riki just couldn't let go of you. Literally, Hope, he was not able to let go of your hand."  
"So that what he meant."  
"Meant what?"  
"Nevermind. Ordinary? Normal?! I would fucking find him and killed him for that."  
Iason smiled.  
"Your heritage will become a prison for you if you allow it. But you can also use it as a trampoline. You have limitless access to money and knowledge. You can do anything you want, learn from best teachers, buy best equipment."  
"Except meeting who I like."  
"Really?" Iason looked bored. "I'll tell you what. I'll finish Jim's contract in four years. If you remember his name by then, he's all yours."  
Hope looked away, embarresed.  
"He's just a nice person to talk to. Not many people my age talk to me. I wasn't going to... you know. Riki is being paranoid."  
"Think about what you can do instead of what you can't. It helps."  
"Right... and becoming a rock star is a 'do' or 'don't'?" She asked, smiling.  
"It's in a special category called _giving your father a heart attack_."  
Hope sighed.  
"He's such a boring asshole."  
"Don't cross the line, Hope," Iason reprimended her.  
"You know, he does call _you_ an asshole all the time."  
The Blondie smiled.  
"That's a petname."  
"Then how does he call you when he's angry?"  
"Don't ask. I mean it Hope, leave invectives for your peers. Someday you'll understand why."  
"Right," she said in a resigned voice. "Someday. I'll know, someday, I'll understand, someday, he'll explain..."  
"When you are given a meal bigger than you can eat, what do you do?"  
"Leave it. Why?"  
"Look closely. Riki never does. I had to... I had all my meal customs rearranged for Riki. He does not know and there is no need to tell him. It would embaress him."  
"What, exactly?"  
"He always eats as much as he is given. As much as he can reach. He eats until his stomach hurts. It's a conditioned reaction from early childhood. As a child, he was never full. He's learnt to eat as much as he can because it was never enough anyway. His brain hasn't developed the 'now its time to stop' signal. Can you imagine how it feels to feel permanently hungry? Because I don't. There is a trauma in Riki neither you nor me will ever fully understand. Trauma inernalised so deeply its almost indistingusible from his personality. That trauma makes him do things we not always find reasonable. There's no point fighting it. You need to find your ways around. He is worth it, after all."  
"You have yours?"  
"I do."  
"Tell me!" Her eyes brighted up, as if she suddenly found a solution to all her problems.  
"You need to find your own."  
"But...!"  
"Mine won't work for you. He is paranoid about me having power over him. And paranoid about not being able to keep you safe. That's different kinds of paranoia. As a teenager, he was an homeless, underfed, street-wise gang leader. And you are so similar to him he relives that by looking at you."  
"Yeah, I guess so."  
And then, the message sink.  
"He was a _gang leader_?"


	5. 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry guys, I had a food poisoning and I've been throwing up the whole weekend so I wasn't able to finish it. So here is a little teaser, and a bigger update in 2 days.

There was a faint, see-through holographic figure in the middle of Katze office. Riki was taken aback when he entered. The figure reacted, following his movement with unseeing eyes. Riki felt uneasy.  
The figure looked like Jupiter. Riki had never seen her of course, but he remembered seeing a picture once or twice.  
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Katze smiled. "The girl who's been inhabiting my every dream lately," he mused, with a big dose of sarcasm.  
"When did you even have time to make it?"  
"I asked Daryl to do it."  
"You've told him...?" Riki asked, surprised.  
"No, of course not. I've told him Iason needs a hoax of Jupiter to fool one of his contractors. He won't tell anybody."  
Katze was sitting behind his desk, obviously programming the creature's movements.  
Riki smiled uneasily.  
"I asked Iason if they communicated by telepathy or what, and he told me the nanomachines in his body were able to pick the signal she sent. I mean, it really scared me off, what he has a radio in his brain or something?"  
He walked around the figure, instinctively as far away from her as possible, and sat on the sofa.  
"Long time ago, when fillings in teeth were made of some kind of metal, some people claimed they actually picked up radio signals."  
"No shit."  
Katze smirked.  
Riki was silent for a long moment. Then he asked, a bit unsure.  
"Do you think... do you think he is... you know, a human?"  
Katze's fingers stopped hitting the keyboard and he sank in his armchair with a deep sigh.  
"Define _human_."  
"You know."  
"No, I don't know," he insisted, much to Riki's irritation.  
"Like us. Human. Alive. Same species. Whatever." Riki rolled his eyes. But deep inside, he started realizing he didn't know what we was asking about.  
"Is a person with artificial teeth is human?"  
"Yes!"  
"Artificial heart?"  
"Yes, of course yes." Riki felt he was being patronized. But that was just the beginning.  
"So the size of the machine matters? One could have a machine instead of heart, but having nanomachines in your bloodstream is something else?"  
"No, it isn't. But it's not just about nanomachines, you know."  
"I know." Katze said calmly to ease Riki's irritation. "If you are wondering how much of human genome can be changed before you stop being human... There's no real answer to that. If you decide that only natural human genome constitutes a person as a human, then only mongrels counts." He smiled.  
"Consoling."  
"Do you know that human genome can be found in only about ten percent of your cells? The rest are filled with the genomes of bacteria, fungi, whatever. Extraordinary, isn't it? What constitutes you as you is ten percent of your body - and even that have fifty percent in common with the genom of a banana."  
That was the very first time Riki though Katze would made a good tandem with Raoul.  
"Then there's that one spark that makes it all?"  
Katze sighed and returned to his work.  
"Iasons consists of some good two hundred pounds of water, some fungi, some bacteria, some nanomachines and some microelements. But I'm sure there's a trace of human DNA somewhere in that mess. And it bears as much resemblance to a macaque as yours and mine."  
That wasn't the answer Riki was hoping for, but it somehow concealed him. He turned his attention back to the hologram.  
"Will she... this... be able to interact?"  
"Maybe. I would be able to program a neural network able to do that, but it takes time."  
"A neural network that emulates a thinking creature?"  
"Of course. Quite simple neural networks can do the trick. The outside viewer is therefore unable to check whether it's really thinking or just generates answers."  
"Do you think she was self aware?" Riki asked and regretted it immediately.  
"Define _self aware_." The dealer said with an evil smile.

***

Tanagura had no technology to control the climate. They could control rain or wind, or, more precisely, make sure that it rained at night or that one precise afternoon was sunny. They could ease down the wind or chase the fog away. But when that winter came, the winter that was twenty degrees colder that it should be, nobody could do anything about it, and nobody was ready.

When the spring came, there were twelve thousands Ceres refugees huddled in makeshift shelters, scared, frustrated and bored. The city was still at the edge of energy shortage, whole production - of clothes, items of every-day use - was about to be re-planned due to excessive consumption of raw materials during the Winter, when they had to produce twice as much thermal clothing (and overcoats and shoes) as they expected. That would have to be planned, distributed without Jupiter. And even that wasn't Iason's biggest problem.

Eleven thirty was the lunch time for Iason and breakfast time for Riki. The boy insisted on having chicken stripes. Iason didn't understand how one could want them as breakfast (or at all) but didn't argue. He just insisted Riki used fork.

"Whatever," Riki said, shrugging. He obviously didn't see much sense in it.  
"Did you see Katze yesterday?"  
"Yeah."  
"How is he?"  
Riki rolled his eyes.  
"Gloomy and philosophical."  
"He is getting better, then."  
Riki stopped chewing for a moment and raised his brow.  
"That was... a joke?"  
"Merely a fact statement."  
"I'm pretty sure it was a joke."  
"Don't eat with your mouth full, please."  
"A joke, really, I'm gonna hafta write down a date or sumfin'."  
Iason handled Riki a tablet.  
"Take a look at this, please." There was a picture of the ocean on it, hundreds, thousands of egg-shaped constructions emerging from under the water, all put in straight lines, to the horizon.  
'Whoa." Riki put the tablet down and started scrolling the pictures with one hand. The other, he hold up in the air with a fork with a piece of chicken pierced on it. "What are those?"  
"Salt farms," Iason answered. "The extract salt from the water. Officially. Unofficially, they extract oxygen atoms from water molecule and release them to the atmosphere."  
"You mean, like what, we are running out of air or something?" He seemed slightly disturbed.  
Iason smiled.  
"No, we are most definitely not. But for some reason every person that was introduced into this project asked the same question as you, so in order to prevent the social unrest, this is kept a secrete."  
Riki, in a way that was anything but graceful, maneuvered the chicken stripe around his plate and then dipped it in the sauce.  
"So why do you need that oxygene?"  
"Amoi has a thin atmosphere. We want to thicker it. You see, the higher you go above the sea level, the less oxygen is in the air. It is universal phenomenon for every planet, but on Earth it was possible to normally live and work at an altitude of four thousand meters above the sea level. Here, we can productively use only the area under two thousands meters. If there is more oxygen in the atmosphere, it will be evenly spread across the planet. The Nesk mountains would become inhabitable in twenty years. The nickel mine, now operated by robots and a few unfortunates forced to wear oxygen masks, would become a normal city," he explained, trying not to pay attention to the dance macabre Riki was pursuing with that fork.  
"Cool," Riki said somewhat absently.  
"Yes, unfortunately, it happened to have side effects."  
"Oh?"  
"The level of ionized air over the ocean has changed as a result of excess hydrogen and changed the the thermal currents."  
"Now, translate," Riki was sort of disconnected, obviously not interested too much.  
"That may had something to do with the climate change."  
Riki put the fork down, suddenly very much interested.  
"You mean like... That caused the Winter?"  
Iason nodded.  
"It may be one of the causes."  
Riki's face seemed to turn gray, he reajusted himself in the chair, moving slightly away from the table.  
"You mean, some, like, six hundred people died because you wanted to have a new nickel mine?"  
Iason sighed inwardly, reminding himself that this kind of reaction was predictable.  
"People used to die in Ceres every winter. And every day, actually. If we liquidate the slum, nobody will die either of cold or hunger anymore. We will have three new colonies in twenty years, what means not only there will be jobs and a place to live for mongrels. More people will get the permission to have the third child. The number of lives saved and created..."  
"Forgive me," Riki hissed, "If I care more for the frozen corpses I've seen during that fucking evacuation than for the people that will be born twenty years from now."  
Riki was not yelling. That was a progress.  
"This argument would make the slightest sense if anybody was able to predict the chain reaction that caused the climate cooling. Nobody was. Eighty engineers worked on this project and none of them managed to foresee it."  
Riki raised his brow.  
"You didn't know?' He said, somewhat between a statement and question.  
"I did not."  
"Yeah right." He stated his disbelief, but calmed a bit and resumed eating.  
"Does it look to you as a planned action? These last months?"  
"Well it worked to your advantage in the end, didn't it? And you said yourself you want to reorganize Ceres, cause as it was befiore it was it's too heavy burden for economy, or something." Riki rolled his eyes and waved with the fork.  
" _Gradually_ , during the next fifteen years. That mines in Nesk mountains will be habitable in two decades. What I am supposed to do with all those people right now?"  
"Well I'm sure you'll think something up."  
"You were right." Iason said calmly.  
"You always think something up," Riki said, misunderstanding. He was looking into his plate, chasing the last stripe.  
"You were right about the fork. It seems I really do prefer when you eat that peculiar dish with your fingers."  
"What? Oh, that. Whatever you say." He put away the fork and hide a tiny smile of triumph behind the piece of chicken.


	6. Dealing p1

Riki was good with people. He was fourteen when he became the leader of Bison. He was absent for three years, and when he came back, he took over immediately. They followed him. He was a natural leader. Shame to waste it, to keep him lock inside. Stupid of Iason not to use him before.

The Bison followed him once again, when he appeared out of nowhere and managed to convince them join the forces evacuating Ceres. Iason didn't know how Riki managed to convince them. But right now, Riki was the right person in the right place. Black market wasn't as good for him.

And people trusted him right now, when he was coordinating the relocation of mongrels from temporary shelters to eight different dormitories. He intermediated between the elite administrators of Midas and the mongrels. And even though those elites sometimes seemed to do everything they could to make his job as difficult as possible, for the outside viewer - a typical mongrel especially - it was almost like magic. A slumkid who was able to get anything he wanted from the elites.

"Pizza?" Luke asked.  
"Of course pizza," Sid answered.  
It was supposed to be a conference room, but they managed to turn it into the storage room, dining room and nap room, all in one. There was a big table for twelve people to sit at, but the mess was so big there wasn't enough space on it to eat. Whatever. Nobody was bothered.  
They ordered food and found themselves some clean spots to sit. It was almost ordinary, almost normal. Almost like the good old times, except that they couldn't afford ordering pizza then. Luke started counting money.  
"I'll cover it," Riki said absently. He was sitting at the windowsill, looking outside.  
"Oh come on, man, not this time," Sid protested. Riki shrugged.  
"Not my money anyway."  
"Maybe that's the point, you know?"  
"Something wrong with ruining a Blondie?" Riki tried to smile. He wasn't a good diplomat, but he really didn't want them to worry about that. And, for the record, it was virtually impossible to ruin Iason by buying pizza. Pizzeria chains, maybe - three hundred of them.  
"As if you didn't know," Sid rolled his eyes. Of course Riki did know. No mongrel liked handouts. Even with double cheese. Riki sighed.  
"Deal with it. Even the chair you are sitting on was funded by Iason Mink, besides, where do you think money you earn come from?"  
"I did't earn them by sleeping with him".  
The air in the room became heavy. Norris and Guy stopped playing with their phones and froze.  
"Are you out of your mind?" Luke yelled at Sid.  
"It's okay, Luke," Riki said. He was calm, what seemed almost unnatural in contrast to Luke's fervour.  
"No it's not, I mean, we are avoiding this topic for months now, so. Do you people are completely blind or what? Look around. We would be dead by now, at least some of us, if we stayed in those ratholes. For dozens of years nobody gave a fuck about if we live or die and suddenly there's an organized help for the whole slum and food and shelter for everyone. And you people get a _salary_. All of those comes form a man who happens to be found of Riki. Do you really are to stupid to see what he... What he is doing for us?  
"You are looking for an euphemism for _whoring_ ". Riki said. _Euphemism_ was the word he learned from Katze.  
"You don't have to, really. I mean, that would be the version everybody would believe in, right? That I whored myself to save Ceres. You see, that is not true. I'm kinda convinced everyone would believe in it anyway, but... You should know... It was all his idea. I didn't plan this action, I didn't ask for it. He was besotted with me for four years and I never used it to do anything good. Too proud, you see," he chuckled. "Anyway, it was his idea and his doing, and he had half of the city against him."  
Riki stood up, with a sigh.  
"I'm proud to be part of it. I'm proud to be... the executor of his plans. But it wasn't my doing."  
The room was silent a long moment, everybody watching the tops of their shoes, until Riki sighed and marched towards the door.  
"I have some place I need to be," he said.

***

The driver opened the car door for Iason. After the Blondie got out, he driver returned behind the wheel to park the vehicle a few meters away. When he was done, he was surprised to see his boss standing still in the same spot, watching indifferently the space in front o him, as if waiting for something. What the driver didn't notice, was the sound of hoverbike approaching. Five more seconds and the sound filled the garage, and then Riki arrived, stopping his bike just behind Iason.  
"Hi." He said, taking off his  
'Hi" Iason answered, looking at Riki over his shoulder.  
Riki jumped off the bike and the driver approached it, potting his hand at the handlebar.  
"I'll take care of it, sir."  
"No, I-" Riki wanted to protest but changed his mind. The guy got paid for what he did, after all, and Iason was waiting. He let go of the bike. "Sure, thanks."  
He followed Iason to the elevator.  
"New scarf?" Iason noticed, looking at the view at the other side of glass elevator wall. The scarf was vividly orange.  
"It's a gift," Riki stated, before he would hear some comments about him "going colors". He'd heard them enough today.  
"From anyone I know?"  
The elevator stopped and they entered the apartment, awaited by Pete.  
"Hi," Riki said to the boy, who only bowed, taking jacked from Iason. "From John and Daisy. They are paramedic, they worked with us during the evacuation."  
"You befriended?" Iason seemed curious. They entered the living room.  
"Kind of. I mean, they are nice. This is the color of those heavy-duty overalls we used to wear." he said, playing with the scarf. The overalls were black with big orange elements to make the crew visible. "The guys were joking about me finally trying some colors, and they decided I should have a souvenir."  
"That's a nice gesture."  
"Yeah I guess... You know, I've never knew anyone like then, just... normal. Neither Elites, nor mongrels. Even people engaged in black market affairs are either very rich or, you know, outsiders. And Daisy... I mean, they are just ordinary. Ordinary typical citizens of Tanagura. I'd never known anyone like that before."  
"Frankly speaking, me neither."  
Riki laughed. "And you won't. I mean, they would shit their pants if their met you"  
Iason smiled, looking Riki in the eyes.  
"Unlike you."  
Riki bore that intense look for a long moment, and then he looked down at the scarf.  
"Do you have any plans for the rest of the day?" He asked Iason.  
"Nothing firm."  
"Good. I will need your full attention."  
"For what?"  
"I want to show you the difference between sex and sex service."


	7. Dealing p2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There should be two more scenes in this chapter, but its 1 a.m. and i'm tired and I want feedback already!

Iason was naked. He was looking absently through bedroom window, not thinking about anything particular. Five minutes ago, Riki had thrown him out of the bathroom. They had had a shower together, a lot of kissing, touching, groping, Iason's hand on Riki's cock, and then, the boy had told him to leave. Iason wasn't particularly surprised by that. They were things a passive participant had to do before the intercourse and Iason didn't feel his presence was necessary for that.  
The door opened and Riki, naked and wet, entered the room with a jar in his hand, immediately tossing it on the bed. Iason's eyes followed the movement. It was the greasy ointment Iason used to prevent his stumps from developing calluses. Not too romantic, but it would do.  
Riki approached the bar counter.  
"You really have here everything one needs to survive" he said, his hand immediately plunged into a bowl of fresh nuts. The other, reached for a bottle of liquor. "One could live without leaving this room for a week."  
If Riki was to share this bedroom with him, the food must disappear, Iason made a mental note. The mongrel poured himself a glass of whiskey.  
"...And all of these... with only Pete managing these supplies, the bathroom, the whole cleaning?"  
"How much mess one can make in a bedroom?" Iason asked somewhat absently. Riki froze with the glass on the way to his mouth and looked at Iason with a vicious smile. A 'we will see about that' kind of smile.  
Iason moved forward and in less than a second he was above Riki, kissing him deeply, the glass from boy's hand dropped on the floor but Iason didn't even looked in its direction. Riki chuckled, and Iason more felt it than heard it, since Riki's mouth were blocked. The boy gave him a gentle push, or maybe it wasn't gentle at all, Iason could never tell the difference. But the push directed him toward the bed, and so he moved backwards, until he felt the edge of the bed behind him. He sat down. Riki followed, getting on Iason's lap, facing him, each knee on Iason's side, taking Iason's face in his hands.  
Since Riki's knees were on the bed, and his ass in the air, he would kiss Iason from above, a completely different angle than usual. There was really nothing special in that position, except they never tried it. Because it would require Riki to take at least the minimum initiative.  
Riki was greedy.  
He pushed forward until they collapsed, Iason on his back and Riki on Iason. His mouth moved from Blondie's face to his neck, his knee found its way between Iason's tights.  
"You've found the jar?"  
"I believe its under my shoulder blade," Iason tried not to sound sarcastic, but Riki laughed anyway.  
"Well, use it!"  
Iason embraced the boy's waist and rolled them both over. Riki landed on his side, propping his head on the elbow he observed as Iason opened the jar and covered his palm with the substance.  
"Turn around," Iason said. Riki did more than that, changing position completely, as until now he was still laying across the bed. He sat up, turned and lay down embracing the pillow. He brought one knee up closer to hist chest to give the Blondie the better access.  
Iason put two fingers at once inside of him, meeting no resistance at all. Maybe Riki knew his body well enough to relax the muscles. Or maybe he fingered himself in the bathroom.  
Riki's eyes were closed. That was the sign of trust.  
Iason added the third finger. A slight resistance this time. Riki took a deep breath, opening his eyes.  
"Are you alright?"  
"Hmph." He sounded grouchy.  
"Riki?" Iason demanded answer. He stopped his moves, keeping Riki opened, but not pushing deeper. Riki made a move with his hips to impale himself deeper, with not much success.  
"I'll say stop, you'll stop. I don't - you don't stop. It's that _fucking_  easy," he hissed.  
"Fine," he said, reassuming his ministrations. But Riki was not satisfied with them.  
"Are you planning on jamming whole fist down there?"  
There was a hint of sarcasm in Riki's voice, as if he was about to add something like "you are not that big", but figured Iason would gett the message anyway. Quite correctly. He turned the boy over. A sudden wave of grumpy humor was gone and Riki was smiling slightly. He propped on his elbows to reach up and kiss Iason's mouth.  
"I'm not made of glass," he wishpered. "I won't break."  
Iason had to laugh at that.  
"I've noticed" he said.  
Riki closed his eyes.

The aftermath was lazy and sticky. It was too early to sleep and Riki didn't feel like getting up. The sheet was wet. He dug his chin in Iason's ribcage, making sure the Blondie is not dozing. Iason's hand tangled in his hair.  
"Will you stay with me?" Iason asked.  
"Of course I will stay with you." He was playing hard to get for over half year so the question shouldn't be a surprise for him. And yet, it was.  
"You didn't seem so sure few weeks ago."  
"I was always sure. I mean..." He laid his head on Iason's torso. "I knew I would stay, eventually. I just wasn't sure of the reasons why I do it. You know what I mean?"  
"No." Iason said and Riki laughed.  
"I... I really have no place to go, Iason. And staying because of that... would be unfair. To you and to me."  
"Oh."  
Iason's lips reached his forehead, he felt Blondie's breath within his hair.  
"You know now?"  
"Known for two months or so."  
"And you said nothing because?"  
"Because you havent asked me, Iason."  
He moved his head up to look into the Blondie's eyes. "You see... That's the problem. For three years you kept me here insisting that I need to adjust, accommodate, and I should be happy to be your pet. Then you realized I won't be happy and you started looking for another way to... To make it all work. YOU were looking. You've spent last eight months on trying to figure out just _how_ to make me happy instead of simply asking. You know what this two things have in common?  
"Me wanting you happy?" he asked, sarcastically.  
"Nice try, asshole. It's _you_  deciding  _for me_. I mean, I'm not blind, I can see how much you are doing, how much you've changed in your life and... around us, to make things more.. bearable for me. I really appreciate everything what you are doing for me. I do. But you can't go on on guessing what I need. It's my life and I wouldn't mind being consulted about it once in a while, you know."  
Iason rolled his eyes.  
"So we've been both having blue balls for seven months because I didn't asked?"  
"You see" Riki grinned, "you are learning fast.  
He lay his head back on the Blondie's torso, for a moment listening to the steady rhythm of pulse. He closed his eyes, and started talking.  
"You will never consider me your equal and you will never even pretend to. I can live with that, I can even respect that kind of honesty. What I can't live without, is choice. Free will. You need to promise me that, Iason, that you will never force me to do anything I don't want to do, that you will let me act according to my own judgment."  
Iason was holding Riki close, his hands traveling up and down Riki's back and arm, and the fact that he took time to answer, proved he took the matter seriously.  
"Let's assume that your judgment is wrong..."  
"Then you will let me be wrong."  
"What about work? Or Ceres evacuation? We are in a middle of a silent revolution, everything we do may potentially have dire consequences."  
Riki took a deep breath and sat up.  
"Then you will say 'please Riki, it's really important that you, in this particular situation, do exactly as I ask.'"  
Iason smiled a bit.  
"And you will listen?"  
"Maybe," he grinned. "But this is the risk you need to take. Just like I need to believe you won't imprison me again, even though you so easily could. People call it a jump of faith."  
The Blondie looked at him seriously, then nodded.

  
The next weeks were honeymoon. They made love in bed, in the office, on the desk or in the armchair, at the terrace, in bathroom, at the billard table, against the wall and in the elevator. Rikis body was covered with bruises, scratches and hickeys, and for once, so was Iason's.  
At the first glance of St, everything was the same. their sex has always been hot, and Riki's body has always been responsive. But the devil is in the details, they say. The way Rik cupped Iasons face with his palms when he kissed the Blondie, the fierce of the kiss, the force witch he used bring Iason's body closer to him, the way his hand wandered around just to touch as much skin as possible. Slowly, step by step and touch by touch, Iason was being taught the difference between taking and being given.

Iason was not sure what changed Riki so suddenly. Part of him, that self-important one, thought that his efforts and patience has finally given resukts. The other was just grateful. He left Riki at four in the mornig, the boy sleeping soundly curled in the fatus position, and he felt like a conqueror. He met Riki again in the evening, the boy took Iason's hands in his, and Iason felt like a beggar given a glass of water.

And then, the honeymoon was over.

***

The man seemed restless. Daryl couldn't blame him. The winter was over three months ago and people started to think more about the homes they lost than the lives they saved. The man put self-made cigarette in his mouth.  
"How long is going to take?"  
"I don't know. We are doing what we can. Two thousand people has already been transferred to dormitories. Three more dormitories are being prepared right now. Five hundred people have jobs already."  
The man miffed. There was a small child playing under the table, the man was giving her some slight attention, just to make sure the girl won't hurt herself.  
"Jobs. Five hundred. Cool, but its like, ten percent? What you think is going to happen with the rest? They gonna keep us locked here until we rot or something? We have nowhere to go. Did you hear they gonna demolish Ceres?"  
"Rebuild," Daryl corrected him and the man rolled his eyes. Daryl wasn't good with people. He shouldn't even be here. It was Guy's job to collect the DNA samples form every mongrel. But he called in the morning and begged for a replacement. apparently he had a hangover.  
"There will be no place to go back for us. I tell you if i wasn't stuck with Mi, I'd be far gone by now. South."  
"Mi?"  
"Her," he pointed at the child. "She is not mine, my sister used to take care of her. Now my sister is dead and I'm stuck with the kid."  
"I'm sorry to hear that," Daryl said, because, there was not really nothing more to say. "Who were her parents?"  
"Dunno. I mean, we met her mother when she was pregnant, she was looking for the baby's father. Pretty stupid creature, really. I mean, the guy had apparently left her. Anyway, she couldn't find him, she died during birth and my sis took the baby. She died for pneumonia."  
"I'm sorry," Daryl repeated, angry with himself. Do they have a manual for dealing with situations like this?  
"Well, thats the way it is, isn't it? Its nor that I don't like tat kiddo, but i am not really a father type."  
Daryl felt the urge to do something what at least would seem constructive.  
"I'll get the DNA sample, maybe I'll find some family."  
"What's the use, I mean,the guy is long gone, probably didn't want her anyway."  
"It wont hurt to check." Daryl got under the table. "Hey kid, wats your name?"  
"She doesn't speak yet. She is not even two years old yet."  
"I don't know much about kids," Daryl admitted, stroking the girl's head until he found a loose hair.  
"We called her Mimea, after her mother. I mean, the kid shoud at least have that one souvenir."  
Daryl hit his head on the table edge.

Katze puffed on the cigarette.  
He was sitting agaist the table, looking at the screen in front of him. DNA test.  
"Recheck it."  
"I did. Three times before I even came to you."  
Katze puffed again and sank deeper in his armchair, with a deep sigh.  
"This is pretty serious shit," Daryl said.  
"Pretty," he agreed.  
"We need to tell Iason don't we? He'll be furious."  
"We need to tel Riki," Katze corrected him.  
Daryl was sitting at the edge of Katze's desk. He shook his head. Knowing Riki as impulsive as he was... And Iason was still the one legally responsible for Riki. Shouldn't he know first?  
Katze crushed the cigarette and answered the question Daryl was about to ask.  
"Iason has gone a long way to give Riki as much leeway as he does, but the fact Riki is running around without a leash does not mean Iason is ready to let him bond with anybody. Anybody else than himself, that is."  
"You mean he... Would hide the girl or something?"  
"He might come up with the solutions we wouldn't find agreeable."  
"Which means he will be trully furious if we tell Riki first. And Riki... I can't even imagine how he will react."  
Katze was silent a long moment, Daryl could see that he was thinking.  
"Can you secure the girl's safety for two weeks?"  
"Yes, why?"  
"Iason is having his transplant done."  
"Haven't he got it already?" Daryl was surprised. What made the Blondie wait so long?  
"He will be immobilized for a week or so."  
Oh. That. Daryl could imagine how much Iason will hate that.  
"You are going to tell Riki then? Iason is so gonna kill you if you try to play him this way."  
Katze sighed deeply.  
"He'll be furious but he won't do anything. He owes me. Just... make sure nobody else runs into the girl and leave the rest to me."  
Daryl was looking at Katze with disbelievement.  
"Just... exactly _how much_  does he owe you?"

 

 


End file.
